By Juliana Vasquez | Staff Writer
As statewide elections approach with Election Day on Nov. 4, Texan voters might need a reminder of what to expect on the ballot.
This election is over 17 proposed constitutional amendments. The proposed amendments cover issues such as taxes, infrastructure and amendments to the language within the Texas constitution. Of those 17 proposed amendments, 10 are tax-related.
Dr. Paul Mason, Baylor accounting professor, said many of the proposed changes are aimed at helping groups of individuals, whether they are students at Texas State Technical College or Texans who have experienced property damage.
“Some of these tax proposals are really to encourage particular behavior or create incentives for different items,” Mason said. “So a lot of these are going to help very specific people.”
Although the amendments would help individuals, Mason said they also raise the question: who’s paying?
“These are intending to help people, [but] they come at a cost, and it’s not clear how these propositions are going to be paid for,” Mason said.
When preparing to vote on the propositions, particularly the tax-related ones, Mason encouraged students to ask themselves whether the proposition would support economic development.
“I would want students to understand that while there’s a tax cut in the near term, more money in someone’s pocket could go to economic development in other areas,” Mason said.
Plano senior Tanya Magesh said students should make voting in the upcoming state election a priority because it could have a lasting impact.
“Because decisions at the state level often guide local priorities, voting can have a lasting impact close to home,” Magesh said. “It’s one of the most effective ways to get involved and help drive meaningful change.”
In the immediate future, Mason doesn’t foresee the propositions impacting students directly; however, they will feel their impact indirectly through the businesses they frequent and the research the state will support.
Students will specifically see this with Proposition 5, which regards a tax exemption on animal feed, Mason said. With feed prices lower, the cost of producing food also lowers.
“If you go eat a hamburger and the cost to produce a hamburger is lower, well then your hamburger stays cheaper,” Mason said.
Mason said students looking to purchase a house in the near future could also be impacted by the amendments. Five of the seventeen propositions include a homestead exemption, which protects property owners from certain taxes and preserves the property’s value.
“The state is talking about increasing that homestead exemption, and so if that’s the case, then that could be beneficial for homebuyers,” Mason said.
Students would see the exemption applied most directly through Proposition 13, Proposition 10, if their homes have a fire, and Proposition 17 if they are looking to move to Texas’ border counties.
Overall, Mason hoped students would recognize the opportunity to vote on issues that affect key populations in Texas, ranging from farmers to the elderly and disabled.
“I think students could find themselves getting excited about how these are helping different groups of people,” Mason said.
