AUSTIN (NEXSTAR) — Starting Monday, Texas citizens can head to the polls to vote on 17 proposed amendments to the state Constitution — decisions that could reshape tax policy, education funding, infrastructure investment, and more.
Since Texas adopted its current constitution in 1876, it has been amended 530 times. Historically, three-quarters of proposed amendments have been approved by voters.
Ten of the seventeen amendments focus on tax policy. While Texas currently does not have a capital gains tax, securities tax, or inheritance tax, several proposals aim to permanently ban these taxes, requiring future constitutional amendments to change course.
One far-reaching tax proposal is Proposition 13, which would raise the school district homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000, potentially lowering property taxes for millions of Texans.
Other major proposals include Proposal One, which would create a new Texas State Technical College (TSTC) investment fund — a move aimed at expanding access to technical training as demand for skilled workers rises.
Proposition 14 would create the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, allocating $3 billion to research into Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and related diseases.
Proposition 4 directs up to $1 billion annually in sales tax revenue to the Texas Water Fund for infrastructure improvements.