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16 Amendments on November Ballot
On Tuesday, November 6, voters will decide on 16 amendments to the Texas Constitution. Unlike the U. S. Constitution, our Texas Constitution is a very long and detailed document. Voters are often called upon to make changes to the Texas Constitution and have approved more than 400 changes since its original adoption in 1876. Proposed amendments go to the voters if they are first approved by two-thirds of the members of both the Texas House and the Texas Senate. The governor cannot veto a constitutional amendment. That right is left to the voters of the state. The amendments on the upcoming ballot cover a wide range of issues, from important to relatively trivial. Propositions 2, 4, 12 and 15 would authorize the state to borrow money for various programs and projects, with different amounts of risk and costs to state taxpayers. I authored Proposition 3, which fixes a loophole that caused some taxpayers to see 30% increases in their property taxes, even though they thought they were limited to the 10% cap I helped pass in 1997. I've provided a page of information for each amendment on my web site at www.scotthochberg.com. On each page, I've included a summary of what the amendment does, some arguments for and against its passage, and links to more detailed information as well as the exact wording of the changes to the Constitution that each amendment would make. I do not recommend how you should vote on these proposals, but rather provide information so you can make informed decisions. If you live in our district, you will also receive a copy of the summaries by regular mail. Early voting for the amendments, as well as the Houston city election and HISD bond issue, begins on October 22. The full early voting schedule and list of locations is on my site. (Click on "Find Where You Vote"). As Election Day nears, I will also post the polling places for Election Day voting. As always, please let me know if you have additional questions or if we can be of help in any way.
Scott Hochberg
Your contribution to the Scott Hochberg Campaign will help keep Scott working for us in the Texas House. You can contribute any amount using your credit card or Paypal account via our secure electronic payment system. Sorry, no contributions are allowed from corporations. While we must report your contribution under Texas ethics laws, your email address will remain private. We must have your full name and address on all contributions. Contributions identified only by an email address cannot be accepted. State law also requires us to use best efforts to collect and report the principal occupation (or job title) and full name of employer of individuals whose contributions equal or exceed $500 in a reporting period. If you are contributing $500 or more during any six-month period, please include your occupation and employer in the space provided on the contribution screen.
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