Voters strongly support 11 state amendments

By DAVE MONTGOMERY

dmontgomery@star-telegram.com

AUSTIN — Turning out in expected low numbers Tuesday, Texas voters registered strong approval for 11 state constitutional amendments, including measures to create more elite universities and to bolster protections for property owners, according to incomplete returns.

State leaders hailed the passage of Proposition 4, which would create up to seven more top-tier universities in an effort to make the Lone Star State more competitive in attracting out-of-state students, research dollars and business capital.

Texas has three tier-one universities, compared with nine in California and seven in New York.

With more than 80 percent of 7,468 precincts reporting, voters were supporting the measure by 56 percent to 44 percent.

The University of Texas at Arlington, the University of North Texas in Denton, the University of Texas at Dallas and four other "emerging universities" would be on track to become tier-one universities, generally defined as those that commit at least $100 million to research.

Former Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby, who co-chaired a statewide campaign to pass Proposition 4, said the vote sends "an important message" and could lead to "billions of dollars in economic growth."

The amendment shifts more than $500 million from a dormant education fund into a new pool of money to finance the creation of tier-one institutions.

In an overwhelming show of support for property rights, Texans voted 81 percent to 19 percent for Proposition 11, which would place more restrictions on government entities that use eminent domain to take private property.

The amendment is the state’s latest response to a 2005 Supreme Court decision that allows eminent domain for economic development purposes.

The vote, Gov. Rick Perry said, "sent a clear message: Don’t mess with private property rights."

Voters also approved a cluster of three amendments that the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association said will lead to "the most significant property tax reform in 30 years."

Specifically:

Proposition 2 requires that tax appraisals of a person’s primary residence be pegged to the site’s value as a homestead, instead of to a widely used "highest-and-best use" standard, such as the property’s potential for commercial development. For: 68 percent. Against: 32 percent.

Proposition 3 allows the state to enforce uniform property appraisal standards. For: 65 percent. Against: 35 percent.

Proposition 5 lets adjoining counties consolidate review boards that hear appraisal appeals. For: 61 percent. Against: 39 percent.

Officials from the six cities bordering Naval Air Station Fort Worth endorsed Proposition 1, which would allow cities and counties to buy buffer areas near military installations to control residential encroachment. Voters were embracing the measure by 55 percent to 45 percent.

Here’s how other proposals fared:

Proposition 6: Renews the Veterans Land Board’s bonding authority to continue financing loans that enable Texas veterans to buy land and homes at below-market rates. For: 65 percent. Against: 35 percent.

Proposition 7: Clarifies that members of the Texas State Guard can legally hold other government jobs. For: 72 percent. Against: 28 percent.

Proposition 8: Permits the state to provide money and resources in federal initiatives to develop more veterans hospitals in Texas. For: 73 percent. Against: 27 percent.

Proposition 9: Strengthens protections of the 1959 Texas Open Beaches Act, which gives the public free and unrestricted access to state-owned public beaches. For: 77 percent. Against: 23 percent.

Proposition 10: Lengthens terms for board members in emergency-service districts from two to four years. For: 73 percent. Against: 27 percent.

DAVE MONTGOMERY IS THE STAR-TELEGRAM’S AUSTIN BUREAU CHIEF. 512-476-4294

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