Austinist is officially recommending that you vote "NO" on Prop 12, which would authorize the Texas Transportation Commission to issue up to $5 billion in bonds for so-called "highway improvement projects"—read about it here. We're also recommending a wholehearted "YES" on Prop 15, which would deliver some $3 billion to cancer research efforts over the next ten years and could have the potential to transform our state into one of the global leaders in medicine and biotechnology.
Polls are open from 7am to 7pm. Get thee to voting!
Related:
Election Day Polling Places for Travis County
Find your voting place based on Texas ID
Texas Secretary of State's Nov 6 Constitutional Amendment Election Voter Information Website
The Austin Chronicle's Excellent Endorsements
Ballot Language For November 6, 2007 Constitutional Amendment
Proposition 1 - HJR 103
"The constitutional amendment providing for the continuation of the constitutional appropriation for facilities and other capital items at Angelo State University on a change in the governance of the university."
Proposition 2 - SJR 57
"The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of $500 million in general obligation bonds to finance educational loans to students and authorizing bond enhancement agreements with respect to general obligation bonds issued for that purpose."
Proposition 3 - HJR 40
"The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide that the maximum appraised value of a residence homestead for ad valorem taxation is limited to the lesser of the most recent market value of the residence homestead as determined by the appraisal entity or 110 percent, or a greater percentage, of the appraised value of the residence homestead for the preceding tax year."
Proposition 4 - SJR 65
"The constitutional amendment authorizing the issuance of up to $1 billion in bonds payable from the general revenues of the state for maintenance, improvement, repair, and construction projects and for the purchase of needed equipment."
Proposition 5 - SJR 44
"The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit the voters of a municipality having a population of less than 10,000 to authorize the governing body of the municipality to enter into an agreement with an owner of real property in or adjacent to an area in the municipality that has been approved for funding under certain programs administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture under which the parties agree that all ad valorem taxes imposed on the owner's property may not be increased for the first five tax years after the tax year in which the agreement is entered into."
Proposition 6 - HJR 54
"The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation one motor vehicle owned by an individual and used in the course of the owner's occupation or profession and also for personal activities of the owner."
Proposition 7 - HJR 30
"The constitutional amendment to allow governmental entities to sell property acquired through eminent domain back to the previous owners at the price the entities paid to acquire the property."
Proposition 8 - HJR 72
"The constitutional amendment to clarify certain provisions relating to the making of a home equity loan and use of home equity loan proceeds."
Proposition 9 - SJR 29
"The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt all or part of the residence homesteads of certain totally disabled veterans from ad valorem taxation and authorizing a change in the manner of determining the amount of the existing exemption from ad valorem taxation to which a disabled veteran is entitled."
Proposition 10 - HJR 69
"The constitutional amendment to abolish the constitutional authority for the office of inspector of hides and animals."
Proposition 11 - HJR 19
"The constitutional amendment to require that a record vote be taken by a house of the legislature on final passage of any bill, other than certain local bills, of a resolution proposing or ratifying a constitutional amendment, or of any other nonceremonial resolution, and to provide for public access on the Internet to those record votes."
Proposition 12 - SJR 64
"The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of general obligation bonds by the Texas Transportation Commission in an amount not to exceed $5 billion to provide funding for highway improvement projects."
Proposition 13 - HJR 6
"The constitutional amendment authorizing the denial of bail to a person who violates certain court orders or conditions of release in a felony or family violence case."
Proposition 14 - HJR 36
"The constitutional amendment permitting a justice or judge who reaches the mandatory retirement age while in office to serve the remainder of the justice's or judge's current term."
Proposition 15 - HJR 90
"The constitutional amendment requiring the creation of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and authorizing the issuance of up to $3 billion in bonds payable from the general revenues of the state for research in Texas to find the causes of and cures for cancer."
Proposition 16 - SJR 20
"The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $250 million to provide assistance to economically distressed areas."





So we shouldn't give money to Rick Perry's land developer buddies but we should give money to his big pharma buddies? Vote "NO" on both please.
Prop 15 is funding a public, independent cancer research institute unrelated to the private sector... and thank God. Private cancer research is a failure of the health care system. Big companies will only invest in research for more "common" forms of cancer, and then crank up the price for the drugs to cover the cost. Publicly-funded research is often the only hope for those with rarer cancers, or those who can't afford big brand-name drugs. Plus research performed by the government will be MUCH easier to push through FDA approval, meaning it will get to the patients much faster.
It's a win-win.
Um, when was the last time the state of Texas produced a cancer drug?