When Texas voters head to the polls for the Nov. 4 elections, they will face one of the longest ballots of constitutional amendments in state history.
Seventeen proposed changes, ranging from property tax relief and infrastructure funding to parental rights and bail reform, will be presented to voters.
The amendments represent the most significant number of ballot propositions since 2003. They signal how Texas continues to govern major policy through constitutional change.
“The Texas constitution is the second-longest constitution of all the states,” explained voting rights advocate Pam Gaskin during a voter education forum co-hosted by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. “It has been amended 530 times. 76% of all the constitutional amendments that have ever been presented to the voters are accepted. I know why, because people don’t take the time to read them, they just vote for them.”
Gaskin urged voters to study the proposals closely, adding that these amendments affect people’s taxes, schools, courts, and everyday lives.
Property tax relief
Seven of the 17 amendments address property tax exemptions and relief measures, which, while beneficial to certain groups, could strain local school funding.
- Proposition 5 – HJR 99 would remove property taxes on animal feed sold in stores, help farmers and businesses save money, reduce operating costs for farmers and retailers, but trim local tax revenue.
- Proposition 7 – HJR 133 offers a full or partial homestead exemption for surviving spouses of veterans who die from service-related conditions, a measure aiming to help military families.
- Proposition 9 – HJR 1 raises the tax-free amount for business equipment and inventory to $125,000, offering small business relief but potentially costing local governments millions in lost revenue.
- Proposition 10 – SJR 84 creates a temporary property tax exemption if a home is completely destroyed by fire, offering short-term relief after disasters.
- Proposition 11 – SJR 85 increases the school tax break for elderly and disabled homeowners from $10,000 to $60,000. This means more protection for people on fixed incomes, but schools may collect less money.
- Proposition 13 – SJR 2 boosts the statewide homestead exemption (what part of a home’s value is not taxed) from $100,000 to $140,000, which means more savings for homeowners, but could reduce property tax revenue by $51 billion.
- Proposition 17 – HJR 34 allows border county residents to avoid taxes on property upgrades used for border security (like fencing or cameras).
Harris County Criminal Court Judge Tonya Jones cautioned that while exemptions sound appealing, reducing property tax revenues means taking money from public schools, which in turn affects decisions that ripple into classrooms, staffing and student programs.
Fiscal permanence: Banning future taxes
Three amendments, Propositions 2, 6, and 8, would permanently ban future forms of taxation. These three proposed amendments deal with taxes that Texas does not currently have but would prevent the state from adding them later.
- Proposition 2 – SJR 18 bans taxes on capital gain, which is money people make from selling things like stocks or property for more than they bought them. This is aimed at keeping Texas’s low‑tax environment. Texas does not currently tax capital gains. However, it forecloses future revenue potential.
- Proposition 6 – HJR 4 stops the state from putting new taxes on securities that businesses buy or trade like stocks and bonds. It also removes a future revenue lever for the state with no immediate impact, thereby limiting future revenue options.
- Proposition 8 – HJR 2 bans estate or inheritance taxes, or taxes people would pay on property or money they inherit from someone who died. It limits long-term revenue flexibility for estate‑based taxation with no current tax, but prohibits future revenue sources.
“These three address things that we don’t even do in this state,” said Junelle Berry, the immediate past president of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Houston Metropolitan Chapter. “We don’t have a capital gains tax; we don’t tax financial transactions. When you look at putting in our constitution things that we don’t do, but would prohibit future generations from doing it, you are setting up to take away a tool that may be needed. And that tool is taxation. This can tie the hands of those who come afterward if the state gets in a financial bind.”
Public safety and judicial oversight
Two measures address the state’s justice system, stirring debate about safety and due process.
- Proposition 3 – SJR 5 would allow judges to deny bail to defendants accused of certain felonies based on perceived danger or flight risk. While it prevents high-risk individuals from committing additional crimes while out on bail, limits the denial of bail to only the most serious offenses and provides safeguards to protect defendants’ rights and the right to appeal, opponents say judges currently have the discretion to set high bail amounts for individuals considered high risk, which can prevent their release. Also, denying bail to certain defendants could result in overcrowding of jails, requiring more taxpayer funding for additional jail staff.
- Proposition 12 – SJR 27 restructures the State Commission on Judicial Conduct by giving the governor a majority of appointments, or seven out of 13 seats.
“The majority will be appointed by the governor, and they could be anybody who doesn’t even know judicial conduct,” Jones said. “They’re gonna leave it up to them to define judicial conduct and say it’s inappropriate.”
Panelists noted that while the proposition enhances oversight and accountability in the judiciary, structural changes may lead to the politicization of the disciplinary process.
Investing in education, water and health research
Three amendments create new state funds for infrastructure and public programs:
- Proposition 1 – SJR 59 establishes a permanent technical institution infrastructure fund and the available workforce education fund for Texas State Technical Colleges, seeded with $850 million from general revenue. However, panelists believe embedding funding in the Constitution undermines legislative oversight and fiscal transparency and may make it harder to make changes in the future.
- Proposition 4 – HJR 7 dedicates a share of the state’s sales tax to the state water fund, a long-term $20 billion effort. It launches in 2027. A concern pointed out was the potential displacement of general revenue priorities, with regions like Harris County receiving less. Moreover, water conservation, a critical component of the strategy to meet future water needs in Texas, is not addressed by this plan.
- Proposition 14 – SJR 3 launches a Dementia Prevention and Research Fund, transferring $3 billion from state revenue to study Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and related diseases.
While these initiatives promise lasting investment, critics say embedding them in the Constitution reduces fiscal flexibility.
“This $3 billion is going to go at the rate of 3 million a year or 30 million a year for 10 years or into perpetuity until they get to the whole $3 billion,” Gaskin said. “We don’t need to invest in startups, but invest in folks who are already doing the work.”
Another concern pointed out was the lack of control over who participates in the research studies.
“A pro to it would be if all communities were included, Black, brown, mainstream, everyone,” said a speaker.
Parental rights and citizenship
- Proposition 15 – SJR 34 enshrines parental rights in the Constitution, affirming that “parents are the primary decision-makers for their children.” Supporters say it protects families from government interference in personal decisions, but opponents warn it could prevent schools or doctors from stepping in when a child needs help.
- Proposition 16 – SJR 37 clarifies that only United States citizens can vote in Texas elections, a clarification already in the law.
Election Day: Nov. 4, 2025
Early Voting Begins: Oct. 20, 2025
Resources: harrisvotes.com and vote411.org
