Dear Friends,
On November 8, 2011 you will be able to participate in a statewide election for ten new amendments to the Texas Constitution proposed by the Legislature this past session. The amendments range from a tax exemption for surviving spouses of veterans to funding for public education and additional funding for college loans. I invite you to review these propositions and their explanations and encourage you to head to the polls during early voting or on election day.
Early voting begins today, Monday, October 24th, and continues until Friday, November 4th. For a list of times, dates and locations for early voting, please
CLICK HERE. You can also vote on election day, Tuesday, November 8th from 7:00a.m. - 7:00p.m. For a list of voting precincts and locations, please
CLICK HERE.
It is important to remember that our right to vote is an American liberty and is your political voice, a voice that is the first step in solving our State's education, healthcare and budget problems. I appreciate all of your support and I thank you for the continued honor of allowing me to represent you in the Texas House of Representatives.
Sincerely,
Veronica Gonzales
District 41
The following is a list of propositions for the Constitutional Amendment Election that will be held on November 8, 2011. Early voting is October 24 - November 4, 2011.
PROPOSITION 1. The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran.
Summary: This proposition would ease the financial burden on spouses of totally disabled veterans. It would authorize the Legislature to exempt the surviving spouses of 100 percent disabled veterans from property taxes on all or part of the market value of their home.
PROPOSITION 2. The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $6 billion at any time outstanding.
Summary: The Texas Water Development Board issues bonds for water and wastewater infrastructure projects that eventually become self-sustaining. This proposition would authorize the board to issue a maximum of $6 billion in bonds at any time.
PROPOSITION 3. The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of general obligation bonds of the State of Texas to finance educational loans to students.
Summary: This proposition would allow the state to issue general obligation bonds to finance student loans for college and university students.
PROPOSITION 4. The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit a county to issue bonds or notes to finance the development or redevelopment of an unproductive, underdeveloped, or blighted area and to pledge for repayment of the bonds or notes increases in ad valorem taxes imposed by the county on property in the area. The amendment does not provide authority for increasing ad valorem tax rates.
Summary: This proposition would allow counties to issue bonds to finance the development of reinvestment zones. These zones would allow counties to use certain property tax revenues to build roads and transportation projects in that area. Currently, cities are able to issue reinvestment zone bonds, but it has been unclear whether counties have the authority to do so. This proposition would give no authority to the county to increase property taxes.
PROPOSITION 5. The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to allow cities or counties to enter into inter-local contracts with other cities or counties without the imposition of a tax or the provision of a sinking fund.
Summary: This proposition would make it easier and cheaper for cities and counties to enter into contracts amongst each other so that government agencies can share budgets. Currently, if a city or county wants to partner with another on a project, they have to create a special tax and a special debt fund for that project. This amendment would eliminate those requirements and simplify the process.
PROPOSITION 6. The constitutional amendment clarifying references to the Permanent School Fund, allowing the General Land Office to distribute revenue from permanent school fund land or other properties to the available school fund to provide additional funding for public education, and providing for an increase in the market value of the Permanent School Fund for the purpose of allowing increased distributions from the available school fund.
Summary: This proposition would clarify references to the Permanent School Fund, which is the pool of money generated from the sale of state property that goes to Texas public schools. It would allow the General Land Office to distribute revenue from the fund, and it would increase the market value of the fund allowing schools to get more money.
PROPOSITION 7. The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities.
Summary: This proposition would allow El Paso County to be included in the list of counties authorized to create conservation and reclamation districts. El Paso County could then use tax revenue to develop their parks and recreational facilities.
PROPOSITION 8. The constitutional amendment providing for the appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes of open-space land devoted to water-stewardship purposes on the basis of its productive capacity.
Summary: This proposition would create an open-space tax exemption for water stewardship. Open-space is land that is zoned for preservation of natural resources. Historically, open-space in Texas has been used for farming or timber. This amendment would add water stewardship, or conservation, to the list of tax exemptions; thereby providing extra incentives for individuals to conserve the 90 percent of state water that flows through privately owned land.
PROPOSITION 9. The constitutional amendment authorizing the governor to grant a pardon to a person who successfully completes a term of deferred adjudication community supervision.
Summary: This proposition would give the governor authority to pardon individuals who receive deferred adjudication. Individuals who are sentenced to deferred adjudication are given probation-like conditions, and if they complete the program successfully, a judge can dismiss the charges. Currently, the governor can only pardon convicted individuals and not those who have deferred adjudication. With this amendment, the governor would be able to issue a pardon with the successful completion of a deferred adjudication sentence in criminal cases (excluding treason and impeachment) and with the recommendation of the Board of Pardons and Paroles.
PROPOSITION 10. The constitutional amendment to change the length of the unexpired term that causes the automatic resignation of certain elected county or district officeholders if they become candidates for another office.
Summary: This proposition would align the resign-to-run laws with the new primary election filing date. Presently, elected officials can only keep their current jobs if they file for candidacy with less than one year left in their current term. But during this past legislative session, legislators moved the primary election filing deadline from January 2 to mid-December to accommodate military and overseas voters. That would force some elected officials to resign from their current position in order to file for candidacy. This amendment would change the length of the unexpired term from one year to one year and 30 days.
Monday, October 24, 2011 at 11:30PM 
