Dear Neighbor: On Tuesday, November 3, voters will decide on 11 amendments to the Texas Constitution. Unlike the U. S. Constitution, our Texas Constitution is a very long and detailed document. Voters are often called upon to make changes to the Texas Constitution and have approved more than 400 changes since its original adoption in 1876. These amendments will be on the ballot on the same day that we will elect our new mayor, controller, city council members and school board members. Proposed constitutional amendments go to the voters if they are first approved by two-thirds of the members of both the Texas House and the Texas Senate. The governor cannot veto a constitutional amendment. That right is left to the voters of the state. The amendments on the upcoming ballot cover a wide range of issues, from important to relatively trivial. Several are about property tax appraisals. These include Proposition 2, which would prohibit residential property from being appraised as if the property were being used for a business. This is especially important to homeowners on streets that have both businesses and homes, and which are not protected by residential deed restrictions. Proposition 4 would help Texas build the strength of its research universities by establishing a new fund for long term investment in university research. This fund, if supported by future legislatures, could provide significant help to the University of Houston. Proposition 9 would make the Texas Open Beaches Act part of the Constitution, preventing future legislatures from weakening or eliminating this longstanding Texas law without voter approval. I've provided a page of information for each amendment, which you can read by clicking the corresponding link on the right side of this page. On each page, I've included a summary of what the amendment does, some arguments for and against its passage, and links to more detailed information as well as the exact wording of the changes to the Constitution that each amendment would make. I do not recommend how you should vote on these proposals, but rather provide information so you can make informed decisions. If you have questions or need more information, you can read a much more detailed summary of all of the propositions from the House Research Organization (a nonpartisan office of the Texas House of Representatives) or you may contact me by e-mail. Sincerely, State Representative Scott Hochberg