Early voting for the upcoming Nov. 7 election is set to begin Monday, Oct. 23 and run through Friday, Nov. 3.
The location for early voting will be the Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Courtroom, located at 128G Jefferson St. in Sulphur Springs. Voting will take place in the courtroom behind the tax office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23 through Friday, Nov. 3. Voting will continue on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 2-3, with extended hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Registered voters of Hopkins County will cast their votes to decide which of the six candidates will fill the remainder of the term as State Representative, House District 2.
Republican candidates for HD2 include Jill Dutton, Heath Hyde, Brent Money, Doug Roszhart and Krista Schild. Kristin Washington is the lone Democrat in the race.
The winner of this election will be required to run for office again for a new term in November 2024.
In addition to electing a new state representative, voters will also cast ballots on 14 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution.
These include: Proposition 1 (HJR 126) would protect a person’s right to engage in generally accepted farm, ranch, timber production, horticulture, or wildlife management practices on real property that the person owns or leases. The proposed amendment would not affect the authority of the legislature to authorize the regulation of these practices by: (1) a state agency or political subdivision as necessary to protect the public health and safety from imminent danger; (2) a state agency to prevent a danger to animal health or crop production; or (3) a state agency or political subdivision to preserve or conserve the natural resources of the state under the Texas Constitution.Itwould not affect the legislature’s authority to authorize the use or acquisition of property for a public use, including the development of natural resources under the Texas Constitution.
Proposition 2 (SJR 64) would allow the governing body of a county or municipality to exempt from property taxation all or part of the appraised value of real property used to operate a child-care facility. The governing body would adopt the exemption as a percentage of the appraised value of the property, but that percentage could not be less than 50% of the appraised value of the property. The proposed amendment also would allow the legislature to define the term “child-care facility” and to establish additional eligibility requirements to receive the property tax exemption.
Proposition 3 (HJR 132) would prohibit the legislature from imposing a tax based on the wealth or net worth of an individual or family. The proposed amendment also would prohibit the legislature from imposing a tax based on the difference between the assets and liabilities of an individual or family.
Proposition 4 (HJR 2 – Second Special Session) HJR 2 would modify certain provisions of the Texas Constitution related to property taxes. It would authorize the legislature to temporarily limit the maximum appraised value of real property for property tax purposes in a tax year. The proposed amendment also would increase the mandatory homestead exemption for school district property taxation from $40,000 to $100,000. It would require the legislature to provide for a reduction in the amount of the limitation on school district property taxes imposed on the residence homestead of the elderly or disabled. Additionally, the amendment would exempt appropriations not dedicated by the Texas Constitution and used for property tax relief from being considered as appropriations when determining whether the rate of growth of appropriations in a biennium has exceeded the constitutional tax spending limit. The proposed amendment would further authorize the legislature to provide that members serving on an appraisal board in a county with a population of at least 75,000 serve terms not to exceed four years.
Proposition 5 (HJR 3) would redesignate the national research university fund as the Texas University Fund (TUF), and appropriate funds from the economic stabilization fund to the TUF. The proposed amendment would appropriate to the TUF an amount equal to the interest income, dividends, and investment earnings attributable to the economic stabilization fund for the preceding state fiscal year. The appropriation amount could not exceed $100 million for the state fiscal year beginning Sept. 1, 2023, or an amount adjusted for the increase in the general price index, not to exceed two percent, in subsequent state fiscal years.
Proposition 6 (SJR 75) would create the Texas water fund, a special fund in the state treasury outside the general revenue fund, administered by the Texas Water Development Board or its successor to assist in financing water projects in the state. The proposed amendment would direct the Texas water fund administrator to use the fund only to transfer money to other TWDB funds or accounts. The proposed amendment would authorize the legislature to appropriate money for deposit to the water fund to be available for permitted transfers.
Proposition 7 (SJR 93) would establish the Texas energy fund, a special fund in the state treasury outside the general revenue fund, administered by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) or its successor. Money in the Texas energy fund could be used, without further appropriation, only by PUC or its successor to provide loans and grants to finance or incentivize the construction, maintenance, modernization, and operation of electric generating facilities necessary to ensure the reliability or adequacy of an electric power grid in the state.
Proposition 8 (HJR 125) would create the broadband infrastructure fund which would be a special fund in the state treasury outside the general revenue fund, administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (Comptroller). Money from the fund could be used, without further appropriation, only for the expansion of access to and adoption of broadband and telecommunications services. The fund would expire on Sept. 1, 2035, unless extended by adoption of a joint resolution of the legislature.
Proposition 9 (HJR 2) would authorize the legislature to provide a cost-ofliving adjustment to eligible annuitants of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS). The proposed amendment also would authorize the legislature to appropriate money from the general revenue fund to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts to pay the cost-of-living adjustment.
Proposition Number 10 (SJR 87) would allow the legislature to exempt from property taxation tangible personal property held by a medical or biomedical manufacturer as a finished good or used in the manufacturing or processing of medical or biomedical products.
Proposition 11 (SJR 32) would expand the authority of the legislature with regard to conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County. The Texas Constitution permits conservation and reclamation districts in certain counties across the state to issue bonds to fund the development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities but does not currently provide this authority to El Paso County.
Proposition 12 (HJR 134) would abolish the office of County Treasurer in Galveston County. The amendment would authorize the Galveston County Commissioners Court to employ or contract with a qualified person or designate another county officer to perform any functions that would have been performed by the County Treasurer.
Proposition Number 13 (HJR 107) proposes a constitutional amendment to increase the mandatory retirement age for state justices and judges. Currently, the Texas Constitution establishes that justices and judges of the appellate courts, district courts, and criminal district courts must retire on the expiration of the term during which they reach the age of 75 years or an earlier age, not less than 70 years, as the legislature may prescribe.
The proposed amendment would change the mandatory retirement age for justices and judges of the appellate courts, district courts, and criminal district courts to 79 years or an earlier age, not less than 75 years, as the legislature may prescribe. The proposed amendment also would remove the provision stating that justices and judges may only serve until Dec. 31 of their fourth year in office if they reach the age of 75 years in the first four years of a six-year term.
Proposition 14 (SJR 74) would establish the centennial parks conservation fund as a trust fund outside the state treasury. The fund could be used only for the creation and improvement of state parks. the centennial parks conservation fund to TPWD or its successor for the creation and improvement of state parks.