View a PDF of the Proclamation here.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME:
WHEREAS, the 84th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature convened in January of 2015 in accordance with Article III, Section 5, of the Texas Constitution and Section 301.001 of the Texas Government Code; and
WHEREAS, during that session, the legislature approved seven joint resolutions proposing seven particular constitutional amendments by a vote of two-thirds of all the members of each house, pursuant to Article XVII, Section 1, of the Texas Constitution; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of those resolutions and in accordance with the Texas Constitution, the legislature has set the date of the election for voting on the seven proposed constitutional amendments to be November 3, 2015; and
WHEREAS, Section 3.003 of the Texas Election Code requires the election to be ordered by proclamation of the governor;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GREG ABBOTT, Governor of the State of Texas, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Statutes of the State of Texas, do hereby order a special election to be held throughout the State of Texas on the FIRST TUESDAY AFTER THE FIRST MONDAY IN NOVEMBER, the same being the THIRD day of NOVEMBER, 2015; and
NOTICE THEREOF IS HEREBY GIVEN to the COUNTY JUDGE of each county, who is directed to cause said election to be held in the county on such date for the purpose of adopting or rejecting the seven constitutional amendments proposed by seven joint resolutions, as submitted by the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, of the State of Texas.
Pursuant to Sections 274.001 and 274.002 of the Texas Election Code, the propositions for the joint resolutions will appear as follows:
Proposition 1
“The constitutional amendment increasing the amount of the residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation for public school purposes from $15,000 to $25,000, providing for a reduction of the limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for those purposes on the homestead of an elderly or disabled person to reflect the increased exemption amount, authorizing the legislature to prohibit a political subdivision that has adopted an optional residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation from reducing the amount of or repealing the exemption, and prohibiting the enactment of a law that imposes a transfer tax on a transaction that conveys fee simple title to real property.”
Proposition 2
“The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran who died before the law authorizing a residence homestead exemption for such a veteran took effect.”
Proposition 3
“The constitutional amendment repealing the requirement that state officers elected by voters statewide reside in the state capital.”
Proposition 4
“The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit professional sports team charitable foundations to conduct charitable raffles.”
Proposition 5
“The constitutional amendment to authorize counties with a population of 7,500 or less to perform private road construction and maintenance.”
Proposition 6
“The constitutional amendment recognizing the right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife subject to laws that promote wildlife conservation.”
Proposition 7
“The constitutional amendment dedicating certain sales and use tax revenue and motor vehicle sales, use, and rental tax revenue to the state highway fund to provide funding for nontolled roads and the reduction of certain transportation-related debt.”
The secretary of state shall take notice of this proclamation and shall immediately mail a copy of this order to every county judge of this state, and all appropriate writs will be issued, and all proper proceedings will be followed, to the end that said election may be held and its result proclaimed in accordance with law.
GREG ABBOTT
Governor