Texas State Capitol

All but one of the proposed constitutional amendments that were on the ballot passed.

Prop 13, which would have raised the mandatory retirement age for judges, lost by a wide margin, receiving only 37 percent of the vote.

Raising the homestead exemption for purposes of school taxes was the biggest winner with 83 percent of the vote. The average homeowner with a $300,000 home could see their ISD property tax drop by $1,200.

Also passing were amendments to spend money on research grants to a wider range universities, a range of water projects across the state, to build more polluting natural gas plants, to expand broadband across the state, to raise retired teacher pensions and investing in additional park land.

Prop 12 passed by thinnest margin. That amendment will do away with the position of Galveston County treasurer.

Three tax proposals passed. One may exempt child care providers from property taxes. Another prevents the Legislature from imposing a wealth tax. The third prevents local governments from collecting tax from medical and biomedical product manufacturers.

Finally, farm and ranch land is protected from city rezoning ordinances.

— David Taffet

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