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Electorate passes all amendment propositions
Staff Report
Published November 4, 2009
Lamar County voters followed suit with the state’s electorate Tuesday, passing all 11 of the proposed constitutional amendments, 10 of them overwhelmingly.
Across the state, Texas voters chose to strengthen their private property rights as enshrined in the state constitution — one of eleven constitutional amendments.
With 98 percent of the votes counted, some 81 percent of voters supported Proposition 11 to limit eminent domain powers. Proposition 11 was backed by the Texas Farm Bureau, Gov. Rick Perry and Perry’s Republican rival, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Lamar County voters took a definite stand on Proposition 11, casting 2,084 to 298 in approving the amendment.
The amendment will state in the constitution that governments in Texas are prevented from seizing private property and giving it to private developers to boost the tax base.
“By approving Proposition 11, the voters of Texas have sent a clear message: Don’t mess with private property rights,” said Perry.
Hutchison called the results a “first step” toward changing eminent domain laws.
“Texans have sent a clear message that private property rights are sacred. I look forward to working with the Legislature to further strengthen the respect for private property as the next governor of Texas,” Hutchison said.
Texas Farm Bureau President Kenneth Dierschke called the passage of Proposition 11 an important but incomplete victory and said the eminent domain laws still favored the condemner of property.
An amendment to guarantee public access to beaches also sailed through in Tuesday’s poll, taking 77 percent of the vote.
“Texans have always supported open beaches, but now they have given public access to beaches an extra level of protection by putting that right into the state constitution,” said Ken Kramer, Sierra Club state director.
In Lamar County, a long way from the beaches, voters approved the Proposition 9 amendment, 1,821 to 526.
Voters locally and across the state also backed an amendment that aims to create a national research university fund out of $500 million in existing state money. Currently, Texas has three top-level research universities: the University of Texas at Austin; Texas A&M University and Rice University. It lags behind other big states like California and New York, proponents said. Seven other Texas universities are vying to achieve so-called Tier One status.
Lamar County voted 1,349 to 993 for that Proposition 4 amendment.
“Tonight’s passage of Proposition 4 sends this important message: Texans understand that more nationally recognized research universities will help retain Texas-grown talent, recruit top researchers who will generate billions of dollars in economic growth and create more high paying, permanent jobs,” said former Lt. Governor Bill Hobby, co-chair of Texans for Tier One.
All the ballot propositions had to win two-thirds passage in the Legislature to go before voters.
Other propositions passed easily in Lamar County and across the state.
Lamar County voters approved Proposition 1, which authorizes financing methods for municipalities and counties to acquire buffer zones or open spaces next to military bases by 1.513 to 840.
The amendment could prevent encroachment next to the base and allow construction of roads, utilities and other infrastructure to promote the mission of a military base.
Proposition 2 won Lamar County approval by 1,833 to 546. It allows the Legislature to provide for ad valorem taxation of a residence homestead solely on the basis of the property’s value as a residence, not at the potentially higher commercial use value.
Proposition 3, which provides for uniform standards and procedures for the appraisal of property for taxation, won the Lamar County vote by 1,407 to 956.
Texas lacks uniform standards, and proponents said this amendment would ensure that property in diverse parts of the state are valued using the same generally accepted practices.
Lamar County voters went 1,327-1,001 for Proposition 5, which permits the Texas Legislature to allow a single board of equalization for two or more adjoining appraisal entities, meaning area appraisal boards can be consolidated if they choose.
Proposition 6, which authorizes the Veterans’ Land Board to issue general obligation bonds in amounts equal to or less than amounts previously authorized, preventing the land board from continually having to seek legislative authorization, was approved by Lamar County voters 1,773-547.
Proposition 7, which allows an officer or enlisted member of the Texas State Guard or other state militia or military force to hold other civil offices, was approved in Lamar County by 1,868 to 485. This corrects what some say is an oversight in the state constitution.
Proposition 8 authorizes the state to contribute money, property and other resources to establish veterans hospital. It’s designed to speed up efforts to open a federal Veterans Administration hospital in the Rio Grande Valley, where residents currently must travel to San Antonio to receive some VA hospital services.
Lamar County voters approved the proposition 1,962 to 412.
Lamar County voters approved Proposition 10, which limits elected members of the governing boards of emergency services districts to terms no longer than four years, by a vote of 1,923 to 427.
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