Voters approve all but one of state propositions

Voters across the state and county went to the polls last Tuesday, Nov. 7 and approved 13 of 14 Texas Constitutional amendments with Proposition 13 the only one not receiving enough votes for voter approval.

Lavaca County voters favored 12 of the amendments with propositions 11 and 13 the only two not favored by local voters. DeWitt County voters went with state voters in approving all but Proposition 13.

Regarding voter turnout including early, absentee and election day voting, the state saw slightly over 2.5 million (14.4%) cast a ballot, while Lavaca County had 24.8% registered voters go to the polls. DeWitt county had 18.91% of its registered voters turnout for the election.

Including both statewide as well as Lavaca and DeWitt counties, the Texas Secretary of State’s Office and the Elections Administrator’s offices from both counties reported the unofficial election tallies as follows:

• Proposition 1: This amendment protects the right to engage in farming, ranching, timber production, horticulture, and wildlife management.

State: 79.03% for Lavaca: 78.36% for DeWitt: 92.29% for

• Proposition 2: This amendment allows cities and counties to exempt child care providers from property taxes on any facility used to run a child care business.

State: 64.78% for Lavaca: 59.99% for DeWitt: 59.97% for

• Proposition 3: This amendment forces lawmakers to ask voters for authorization before they could impose any new state taxes on residents that would be based on net worth or wealth.

State: 67.88% for Lavaca: 82.36% for DeWitt: 81.36% for

• Proposition 4: This amendment allows the state to spend $18 billion on property tax cuts for homeowners and businesses, cut school districts’ tax rates and enact other tax changes..

Texas: 83.43% for Lavaca: 89.95% for DeWitt: 90.61% for

• Proposition 5 – This amendment authorizes the state to create the Texas University Fund, a $3.9 billion endowment to help “emerging” research universities across the state enhance their research capabilities.

Texas – 64.35% for Lavaca – 50.68% for DeWitt – 51.02% for

• Proposition 6 – This amendment creates a water fund administered by the Texas Water Development Board to support a wide range of projects including fixing Texas’ aging, deteriorating pipes, acquiring more water sources and mitigating water loss.

Texas – 77.64% for Lavaca – 63.06% for DeWitt – 67.80% for

• Proposition 7 – This amendment allows for the creating an energy fund allowing officials to distribute loans and grants to companies with the aim of building new natural gas-fueled power plants.

Texas – 64.92% for Lavaca – 67.56% for DeWitt – 68.26 for

• Proposition 8 – This amendment allows for creating a broadband infrastructure fund where $1.5 billion would be allocated to expand internet availability in Texas, where some 7 million people currently lack access.

Texas – 69.45% for Lavaca – 63.62% for DeWitt – 65.78% for

• Proposition 9 – This amendment provides for some retired Texas teachers with cost-of-living raises to their monthly pension checks.

Texas – 83.73% for Lavaca – 78.36% for DeWitt – 80.81% for

• Proposition 10 – This amendment exempts school districts, cities and counties from collecting property taxes on the value of equipment and inventory held by medical and biomedical product manufacturers.

Texas – 54.99% for Lavaca – 54.59% for DeWitt – 58.41% for

• Proposition 11 – This amendment permits conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to issue bonds supported by property taxes to fund recreational development and improvement. Eleven other Texas counties are already authorized to do this.

Texas – 63.34% for Lavaca – 50.87% against DeWitt – 51.36% for

• Proposition 12 – This amendment abolishes Galveston County’s office of the county treasurer, an office that exists in other Texas counties.

Texas – 52.94% for Lavaca – 52.56% for DeWitt – 54.97% for

• Proposition 13 – This amendment would increase the mandatory retirement age for state judges from 75 to 79 and the minimum retirement age from 70 to 75.

Texas – 62.69% against Lavaca – 62.09% against DeWitt – 62.63% against

• Proposition 14 – This amendment creates a centennial parks conservation fund to invest more than $1 billion to create and improve state parks.

Texas – 76.51% for Lavaca – 64.44% for DeWitt – 66.47% for