Texas Proposition 9 (2007)

Texas Constitution
Articles
Preamble • 1 • 2 Article 3 (1-43) • Article 3 (44-49) • Article 3 (50-67) 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17

Texas Proposition 9 appeared on the November 6, 2007 in Texas as a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment, where it was approved.

Proposition 9 authorizes the legislature to exempt all or part of the residence homesteads of certain totally disabled veterans from ad valorem taxation. It would also authorize a change in determining the amount of the existing exemption from ad valorem taxation to that disable veterans are entitled to.

Proposition 9 appeared on the statewide November 2007 ballot in Texas along with fifteen other statewide propositions; all of them passed. All sixteen ballot measures were legislative referrals voted onto the ballot by the Texas State Legislature.

The proposition would initiate the following changes:

• at least 10 percent but less than 30 would be granted a property tax exemption up to $5000
• 30 percent but less than 50 would get a $7,500 property tax exemption
• 50 percent but less than 70 would get a $10,000 property tax exemption
• 70 percent or more would be granted a $12,000 property tax exemption

Election results

Texas Proposition 9 (2007)
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		932,418	86.2%
No		149,275	13.8%

Statement of Support

It would align the states plan with those of the procedures currently used by the Veteran's Affairs in calculating disability.

• It would be a token of gratitude to America's soldiers
• Would allow disable veterans to round up instead of down for a tax break

Newspapers

Dallas Morning News

• " Voting yes would allow veterans who suffer from severe disabilities to get an exemption from their property taxes. We say vote yes."

The Austin Chronicle

• "Under current imperial conditions, this is the least we can do for disabled veterans. Now let's stop making more of them."

The Houston Courier

Other Support

• Americans for Prosperity

Statement of Opposition

The statement of opposition states that a property tax break would cost to much to local governments or school districts.

• The influx due to Iraq would cause even more of a burden on local governments if this was granted.
• Totally disabled veterans are eligible for a tax freeze under Art. 8 so they would never face a tax increase.

Opposition

Capital Annex does not endorse Proposition 9 because:

"Total exemption from ad valorem taxes on residence homesteads of vets who are totally disabled will sharply reduce revenue available to local governments and shift that burden back, ultimately, to other taxpayers or the state. In addition, with the increasing number of Iraq and Afghanistan conflict veterans who are coming home disabled, this will cause the burden to worsen and last for a not insignificant amount of time."

A Taxpayer's Perspective

Proposition 9 would institute an exemption from property taxes for certain disabled veterans.

Text of measure

The short ballot summary voters saw on their ballot read: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt all or part of the residence homesteads of certain totally disabled veterans from ad valorem taxation and authorizing a change in the manner of determining the amount of the existing exemption from ad valorem taxation to which a disabled veteran is entitled."

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing direct democracy in Texas

As laid out in Article 17 of the Texas Constitution, in order for a proposed constitutional amendment to be placed on the ballot, the Texas State Legislature must propose the amendment in a joint resolution of both the Texas State Senate and the Texas House of Representatives. The joint resolution can originate in either the House or the Senate. The resolution must be adopted by a vote of at least two-thirds of the membership of each house of the legislature. That amounts to a minimum of 100 votes in the House of Representatives and 21 votes in the Senate.==See also== Texas Initiatives 2007

External links

• House Research Organization, Proposition 9
• Election results (From the drop-down menu, choose "2007 Constitutional Amendment Election")

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