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In conversation, the propositions on the primary ballots were brought up more than once.

A woman was greatly concerned about the propositions as it was not something she had seen previously during a primary election. She is not originally from Texas and the platforms of the parties were decided long before the state she previously resided held its primary.

Another concern I heard was why were the results of these very serious propositions not publicized? Fair question, but first let us talk about what the propositions in general are about.

The propositions on the Republican ballot are not the same as on the Democratic ballot. The purpose of the propositions is to determine the overall opinion of the voters for each party.

However, in Orange County, those opinions can be a bit muddled as Democrats are having to vote Republican if they want a say in the local elections. For this reason, no one should hold voting in the other parties primary over one’s head. For decades, one had to vote Democrat to have a say in local elections, now the tables have turned.

So, while the propositions raise some issues which do need to be addressed, the purpose of them is for campaign directions and not actually passing a new law, thus why the propositions are different for each party.

The results of the Republican primary ballot propositions are:

• Texas should not restrict or prohibit prayer in public schools. Yes – 88.61%
• Texas should reject restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms. Yes – 85.38%
• Texas should ban the practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying, which allows your tax dollars to be spent on lobbyists who work against the taxpayer. Yes – 94.29%
• Texas parents or legal guardians of public school children under the age of 18 should be the sole decision makers for all their children’s healthcare decisions including, but not limited to, psychological assessment and treatment, contraception, and sex education. Yes – 90.55%
• Texas should ban chemical castration, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and genital mutilation surgery on all minor children for transition purposes, given that Texas children as young as three are being transitioned from their biological sex to the opposite sex. Yes – 94.57%
• Texans should protect and preserve all historical monuments, artifacts, and buildings, such as the Alamo Cenotaph and our beloved Alamo, and should oppose any reimagining of the Alamo site. Yes – 97.3%
• Texas election officials should heed the directives of the Office of the Governor to purge illegal voters from the voter rolls and verify that each new registered voter is a U.S. Citizen. Yes – 98.36%
•  Bail in Texas should be based only on a person’s danger to society and risk of flight, not that person’s ability to pay. Yes – 94.99%
• Texas should limit our state legislators’ terms to 12 years. Yes – 92.03%

 

The results of the Democratic primary ballot propositions are:

• Should everyone in Texas have a right to quality healthcare, protected by a universally accessible Medicare-style system that saves rural hospitals, reduces the cost of prescription drugs, and guarantees access to reproductive healthcare? Yes — 94.35%
• Should everyone in Texas have the right to high-quality public education from pre-k to 12th grade, and affordable college and career training without the burden of crushing student loan debt? Yes — 94.62%
• Should everyone in Texas have the right to clean air, safe water, affordable and sustainable alternative energy sources, and a ​responsible climate policy that recognizes and addresses the climate crisis as a real and serious threat that impacts every aspect of life on this planet? Yes — 97.58%
• Should everyone in Texas have the right to a life of dignity and respect, free from discrimination and harassment anywhere, including businesses and public facilities, no matter how they identify, the color of their skin, whom they love, socioeconomic status, disability status, housing status, or from where they come? Yes — 97.11%
• Should everyone in Texas have the right to live a life free from violence—gun violence, racial hatred, terrorism, domestic violence, bullying, harassment or sexual assault—so Texans can grow in a safe environment? Yes — 97.28%
• Should everyone in Texas have the right to affordable and accessible housing and modern utilities (electricity, water, gas, and high-speed internet) free from any form of discrimination? 94.74%
• Should every eligible Texan have the right to vote, made easier by automatic voter registration, the option to vote by mail, guaranteed early and mobile voting stations, and a state election holiday — free from corporate campaign influence, foreign and domestic interference, ​and ​gerrymandering? Yes — 95.88%
• Should everyone in Texas have the right to a fair criminal justice system that treats people equally, uses proven methods for de-escalating situations instead of excessive force, and puts an end to the mass and disproportionate incarceration of people of color for minor offenses? Yes — 97.3%
• Should there be a just and fair comprehensive immigration reform solution that includes an earned path to citizenship for law-abiding immigrants and their children, keeps families together, protects DREAMers, and provides workforce solutions for businesses? Yes — 94.73%
• Should Texas establish equitable taxation for people at all income levels and for businesses and corporations, large and small, so our state government can fund our educational, social, infrastructure, business, and all government services to improve programs necessary for all Texans to thrive? Yes — 91.52%

 

Dawn Burleigh is general manager and editor of The Orange Leader. She can be reached at dawn.burleigh@orangeleader.com