Texas Proposition 10, Allow Prison Profit-Sharing with Prisoners or Their Dependents Amendment (1919)

Texas Proposition 10
Election date November 4, 1919
Topic Family-related policy and Prison work regulations
Status Defeated
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

Texas Proposition 10 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Texas on November 4, 1919. It was defeated.

A "yes" vote supported allowing the Texas Legislature to authorize the distribution of up to 50% of the net profits from the state prison system to incarcerated individuals or their dependents for any given fiscal year.

A "no" vote opposed allowing the Legislature to authorize the distribution of prison system profits to incarcerated individuals or their dependents.

Election results

Texas Proposition 10
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		42,358	37.40%
No		70,911	62.60%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Proposition 10 was as follows:

“

For amendment to Article 16 of the Constitution, authorizing a division of the net proceeds of the prison system of this State between the State and prisoners confined in the Penitentiary or their dependents. Against the amendment to Article 16 of the Constitution authorizing a division of the net proceeds of the prison system of this State between the State and prisoners confined in the penitentiary or their dependents.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Constitutional changes

See also: Article 16, Texas Constitution

The ballot measure added a Section 60 to Article 16 of the Texas Constitution. The following underlined text was added:

Section 60. The Legislature shall have power to authorize a division of the net profits arising from the operation of the prison system during any one fiscal year between the State of Texas and the prisoners confined in the Penitentiary during said fiscal year or any part thereof, or their dependents in such proportion as the Legislature may determine not to exceed fifty (50%) per cent to such prisoners or their dependents.

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Texas Constitution

A two-thirds vote was needed in each chamber of the Texas State Legislature to refer the constitutional amendment to the ballot for voter consideration.

The constitutional amendment was introduced into the Texas State Legislature as House Joint Resolution 38 during the 36th regular legislative session in 1919.

See also

1919 Measures

• 1919 Measures
• Family-related policy on the ballot
• Prison work regulations on the ballot
• 1919 legislative sessions

Texas

• Texas ballot measures
• Texas ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Legislative Reference Library of Texas, Constitutional Amendments