Posted by Let Texans Decide
Aug 12, 2013
Longtime Texas Monthly political writer, Paul Burka, has an interesting blog post on the results of the special legislative sessions and the legislature’s “band-aid approach” to funding transportation. The legislature decided to use $1.2 billion dollars from the Rainy Day Fund for roads with no real long term funding solution. And while Mr. Burka doesn’t mention it, expanded gaming could have been at least a $1 billion dollar a year solution – it’s a long term funding source and it wouldn’t require raising taxes.
Texans will also have an opportunity to vote on nine constitutional amendments this November, none of which are expanded gaming. Since 1876, 653 constitutional amendments have been sent to voters and they have approved 474 of them. Voters have not yet had the chance to vote on expanded gaming, but they’re able to vote on a temporary fix for long-term transportation funding. To learn more about the November ballot questions, click here.
Here are some absurd ballot questions Texans have been asked to consider:
2007 – Proposition 11, an amendment to the constitution that would require votes taken in the House and Senate to be recorded on the Internet.
2003 – Texas voters were asked to weigh in on a proposition regarding the regulation of wineries in the state.
2002 – Texas voters were asked to weigh in to establish vacancy requirements for abolishing the office of the Constable.
2001 – Texas voters were asked to weigh in on whether to exempt raw cocoa and green coffee from Harris County property taxes.
