2007 Constitutional Amendment Election Endorsements: Amendments 14 - 16
[This is the fourth and final installment of Capitol Annex's endorsements of various constitutional amendments on the November 6 ballot.]
Proposition 14
Ballot language:
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.
Capitol Annex Recommends: A “NO” Vote On Proposition 14
While this seems like a sane amendment, it is, in fact, a mechanism which would help keep one of the worst judges on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals serving for several more years.
Capitol Annex could support this proposition if it exempted judges presently within five years of their 75th birthday from its privileges.
Proposition 15
Ballot language:
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.
Capitol Annex Recommends: A “YES” Vote On Proposition 15
While we believe this funding is a fairly small amount of money for a tough disease, we nonetheless believe it is an important gesture and a worthy cause. We would, however, prefer to see this amendment with an accompanying amendment supporting spending on stem cell research.
Proposition 16
Ballot Language:
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.
Capitol Annex Recommends: A “YES” Vote On Proposition 16
Many areas of Texas continue to lack appropriate water and wastewater infrastructure. Failure to fund this program further would relegate many Texans to living in communities lacking basic infrastructure.
Written by Vince Leibowitz
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