By Dawn Burleigh

On Nov. 5, Texas voters took to the polls to decide on 10 proposed amendments to the state Constitution. Texans approved nine amendments, including a proposal making it harder for future lawmakers to enact a personal income tax and a proposal concerning bonds for cancer research. Voters rejected one amendment.

Orange County, according to election night results, agree with the rest of the state concerning rejecting Proposition 1, allowing selected municipal court judges to serve multiple municipalities at the same time. Currently, only appointed municipal court judges — who make up more than 95% of the state’s municipal court judges, according to the House Research Organization — can serve multiple jurisdictions at the same time. Orange County rejected it with 4,031 votes against and 1,937 votes for it. Statewide the proposition was rejected with 65-percent of the vote against it and only 35-percent of the votes for it.

Proposition 4: Making it more challenging for future lawmakers to enact a personal income tax, requiring support from two-thirds – instead of a simple majority – of the House and Senate and a majority of Texas voters also passed with 74-percent of the state voting for it. In Orange County, 5,102 voters were for it and 906 voted against it.

With 88-percent of the voters in the state for proposition 5, it was a sweep as 12-percent voted against earmarking all revenue from the sporting goods sales tax toward the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission, as intended when the tax was created in 1993.

Proposition 9 was a close race as 52-percent statewide voted for it with 977,272 votes and 48-percebt voted against it with 916,513 votes. Proposition 9 was for allowing the Legislature to create a property tax exemption for precious metals in state depositories — like the Texas Bullion Depository, scheduled to open next year in Leander.

One proposition Orange County was watching was proposition 8 – Creating a flood infrastructure fund that the Texas Water Development Board could use to finance drainage, flood mitigation and flood control projects after a disaster.

“Texans have spoken and Prop 8 has been passed with a massive 78% of the vote! These emergency funds will now be dedicated to flood control infrastructure across Texas so we can lessen the negative impact on our families and businesses with smarter regional planning,” Representative Dade Phelan said in a Facebook post. “Thank you for setting aside these vitals funds and for helping to take care of your Texas neighbors. God bless you all!”

Orange Results

Proposition 1

For 1937

Against 4,031

 

Proposition 2

For 3,862

Against 2,042

 

Proposition 3

For 5,326

Against 638

 

Proposition 4

For 5,102

Against 906

 

Proposition 5

For 5,350

Against 624

 

Proposition 6

For 3,973

Against 1,943

 

Proposition 7

For 4,526

Against 1,394

 

Proposition 8

For 5,368

Against 643

 

Proposition 9

For 3479

Against 2,302

 

Proposition 10

For 5,656

Against 301

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State Results

Proposition 1

For 681,139

Against 1,289626

 

Proposition 2

For 1,285,397

Against 673,306

 

Proposition 3

For 1,667,110

Against 292,031

 

Proposition 4

For 1,467,994

Against 504,848

 

Proposition 5

For 1,732,331

Against 236,251

 

Proposition 6

For 1,250,089

Against 703,157

 

Proposition 7

For 1,449,333

Against 506,142

 

Proposition 8

For 1,527,394

Against 435,184

 

Proposition 9

For 977,272

Against 916,513

 

Proposition 10

For 1,845,766

Against 123,032