Everything you need to know about ranked-choice voting in one spot. Click to learn more!

Texas Video Recordings in Courts Amendment (2015)

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Not on Ballot
Proposed ballot measures that were not on a ballot
This measure was not put
on an election ballot

The Texas Video Recordings in Courts Amendment was not on the November 3, 2015 ballot in Texas as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. The measure, upon voter approval, would have required the visual and audio recording of each oral argument, proceeding, and open meeting of the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the publication of the recordings on the courts' respective internet websites.[1]

The measure was introduced into the Texas Legislature by Rep. Terry Canales (D-40) as House Joint Resolution 62.[2]

Text of measure

Ballot title

The proposed ballot title was:[1]

The constitutional amendment requiring the recording of certain proceedings of the Texas Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals and the publication of the recordings.[3]

Constitutional changes

See also: Article 5, Texas Constitution

The proposed amendment would have added a Section 1-b to Article 5 of the Texas Constitution. The following text would have been added by the proposed measure's approval:[1]

Sec. 1-b. The Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals shall make a video recording or other electronic visual and audio recording of each oral argument, proceeding, and open meeting of the court and post the recording on the court’s Internet website.[3]

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Texas Constitution

The proposed constitutional amendment was filed by Rep. Terry Canales (D-40) as House Joint Resolution 62 on December 17, 2014.[2] A two-thirds vote in both chambers of the Texas State Legislature was required to refer this amendment to the ballot. Texas is one of 16 states that require a two-thirds supermajority vote in both chambers.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Texas Legislature, "HJR No. 62," accessed January 29, 2015
  2. 2.0 2.1 Texas Legislature, "HJR No. 62 History," accessed January 29, 2015
  3. 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content