Tag: texas
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Texas voters to decide on three property tax exemption amendments, including third homestead exemption increase in three years
The Texas State Legislature voted to send three property tax exemption amendments to the Nov. 4 ballot this week—increasing two existing exemptions and authorizing the creation of a new one. Senate Joint Resolution 2 would increase the property tax exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 of the market value of a homestead. This will be the…
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Texans to decide on parental rights amendment in November, first ballot measure of its kind since 1996
Texas voters will decide whether to add language to the state constitution to provide that parents have the right “to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child’s upbringing” and the responsibility “to nurture and protect the parent’s child.” In Texas, a two-thirds vote in…
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Texas Democrats join Republicans to place citizen voting requirement on statewide ballots in 2025 after blocking the amendment in 2023
Fifteen House Democrats joined the Republican majority in voting to send a constitutional amendment to voters on Nov. 4 that would add noncitizens to the list of persons not allowed to vote in the state after the same resolution was defeated during the state’s last legislative session in 2023. The list in Section 1, Article…
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Ballot measures certification update: Seven new measures for 2025 in CO and TX; six new measures certified in five states for 2026
The number of certified statewide ballot measures for both 2025 and 2026 is trending above average compared to previous election cycles as of May 13. 2025 ballot measures For 2025, 15 statewide ballot measures have been certified in six states—Colorado, Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. This is seven more than the average of eight…
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Texas voters will decide on amendments related to noncitizen voting, death taxes, a state institute for dementia prevention and research, and property tax exemption for animal feed in November
The Texas State Legislature took the final votes needed to send four constitutional amendments to the Nov. 4 ballot this week. Texas will be the 15th state to decide on a constitutional amendment prohibiting noncitizens from voting in state elections. From 2018 to 2024, voters approved 14 ballot measures related to citizenship voting requirements. In…
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Texans to decide on amendment to prohibit noncitizens from voting in 2025 ahead of three other states deciding on the issue in 2026
The Texas State Legislature voted to send a constitutional amendment to voters that would add language to the state constitution prohibiting noncitizens from voting. Currently, Texas has a statutory citizenship requirement to vote. Adding this requirement to the state constitution effectively raises the threshold for any changes to the policy from a simple majority of…
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Texas voters will decide on an amendment to prohibit taxes on realized or unrealized capital gains of an individual, estate, or trust in Nov. 2025
The Texas State Legislature voted to send an amendment to voters this November that would prohibit the legislature from enacting taxes on realized or unrealized capital gains of an individual, family, estate, or trust, including a tax on the sale or transfer of a capital asset. The amendment would not apply to property taxes, sales…
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Texas voters will decide on an amendment to ban taxes on securities transfers and certain financial transactions in November
The Texas State Legislature has voted to send the first constitutional amendment to voters for Nov. 4, 2025. House Joint Resolution 4 (HJR 4) would amend the Texas Constitution to prohibit the state legislature from enacting an occupation tax on registered securities market operators or a tax on securities transactions. A registered securities market operator…
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Texas to become 16th state to pass universal school choice program
What’s the story? The Texas State Legislature passed Senate Bill (SB) 2 on April 24, 2025, and Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has said on social media that he will sign it once it reaches him. Texas is the 16th state to enact a universal education savings account (ESA) program providing public funds for alternatives to…
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Texas Legislature passes state DOGE and judicial nondeference bill
On April 14, 2025, the Texas Legislature approved Senate Bill 14 and sent it to the governor’s office. SB 14 was designed to create a new department tasked with promoting efficiency in the Texas state government and prohibit judicial deference to state agencies. If signed into law, the bill would establish a Texas Regulatory Efficiency…