Voters to decide fate of 16 amendments in November

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One of the most highly touted of the proposals is HJR 90, which authorizes issuing up to $3 billion in bonds to create the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. If approved by voters, the general revenue bonds would pay for $300 million per year for 10 years to be distributed to Texas cancer research institutions to prevent, detect and find cures for cancer. One of Austin's favorite sons, cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, was on hand for the bill signing last week and two former Texas governors from both political parties - Democrat Mark White and Republican Dolph Briscoe - hailed the legislation as an "appropriate memorial" to former Texas Governor Ann Richards, who lost her battle with cancer last year. White, too, is a cancer survivor.

The "sunshine" amendment, HJR 19, would require record votes in both chambers of the State Legislature on final passage of most bills. It would also ensure that the public can access those votes on the Internet.

Financial assistance in the form of low-interest loans would be available for students of public and independent institutions of higher education in Texas if SJR 57 passes. The amendment would allow the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to increase its bonding authority to $500 million to finance loans through the Hinson-Hazlewood College Student Loan Program.

Two of the amendments, SJRs 64 and 65, address the ever-increasing transportation needs throughout the state. One allows the Texas Transportation Commission to issue up to $5 billion in general obligation bonds to fund highway improvement projects and the other allows issuance of up to $1 billion more in bonds for equipment purchases and highway maintenance, improvement, repair and construction projects.

With estimates of more than $5.4 billion in water and wastewater needs in economically distressed areas of the state, SJR 20 would authorize the Texas Water Development Board to issue up to $250 million in general obligation bonds to help meet the water needs in those areas. The Economically Distressed Area Program (EDAP) was established nearly 20 years ago, and expanded in 2005 to allow counties in these distressed areas to apply for funding under the program. Bonds which were issued in the early 1990s have almost been depleted. This amendment would authorize $250 million in additional bonds to continue assistance to those areas.

And then there's that little issue about doing away with the office of Inspector of Hides and Animals…

Just so you know, that office was created in counties statewide in 1871, with a four-year appointment by the governor. Cattle rustling was big business back then, and the office was created so that hides and animals shipped out of a county for sale were closely inspected - with the goal being to cut down on cattle thefts. The position became elective in 1876 and by the 1990s, not many - if any - counties still continued the office.

These are just a few of the proposed amendments that will be on the Nov. 6 ballot. Others address such issues as eminent domain, when a justice or judge must retire, appraised value of residential homesteads for ad valorem tax purposes, exemption of certain motor vehicle taxes, provisions regarding home equity loans and use of the loan proceeds, resident homestead exemptions for certain disabled veterans, and others.

The first day for early voting is Oct. 22. Only those registered to vote by Oct. 9 will be eligible to vote in the Nov. 6 election. To view the ballot language for all of the 16 proposed amendments, visit the Texas Secretary of State's Web site.