Across the Lone Star State, Republican voters re-nominated the party’s leading conservatives as their candidates to face off across from Democrats on the November ballot and also let them know which issues they wanted them to focus on after they are re-elected.
On election night primary voters weren’t just asked which candidates they supported, but where they stood on eleven ballot propositions dealing with issues ranging from property taxes to abortion, illegal immigration to toll roads.
As can be seen in the table below, every single ballot proposition passed overwhelmingly.
Ballot Prop Results
Results of 2017 Ballot Props.| Ballot Number | Proposition Language | TFR Position | Percent Vote For | Percent Vote Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas should replace the property tax system with an appropriate consumption tax equivalent. | Yes | 67.80% | 32.19% |
| 2 | No governmental entity should ever construct or fund construction of toll roads without voter approval. | Yes | 89.90% | 10.09% |
| 3 | Republicans in the Texas House should select their Speaker nominee by secret ballot in a binding caucus without Democrat influence. | Yes | 85.09% | 14.90% |
| 4 | Texas should require employers to screen new hires through the free E-Verify system to protect jobs for legal workers. | Yes | 90.26% | 9.73% |
| 5 | Texas families should be empowered to choose from public, private, charter, or homeschool options for their children’s education, using tax credits or exemptions without government constraints or intrusion. | Yes | 78.65% | 21.34% |
| 6 | Texas should protect the privacy and safety of women and children in spaces such as bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers in all Texas schools and government buildings. | Yes | 90.24% | 9.75% |
| 7 | I believe abortion should be abolished in Texas. | Yes | 68.2% | 31.79% |
| 8 | Vote fraud should be a felony in Texas to help ensure fair elections. | Yes | 94.77% | 5.22% |
| 9 | Texas demands that Congress completely repeal Obamacare. | Yes | 86.96% | 13.04% |
| 10 | To slow the growth of property taxes, yearly revenue increases should be capped at 4%, with increases in excess of 4% requiring voter approval. | Yes | 93.89% | 6.10% |
| 11 | Tax dollars should not be used to fund the building of stadiums for professional or semi-professional sports teams. | Yes | 86.70% | 13.29% |
A number of these are particularly interesting given the views traditionally articulated by the Austin media that they are “far out of touch with Texas voters.” Take for example the first proposition, that Texas should abolish the property tax and replace it with a consumption tax, which passed overwhelmingly with almost 68 percent of the vote.
Another interesting point is Proposition 2, which states, “No governmental entity should ever construct or fund construction of toll roads without voter approval” and passed by significant margins statewide especially in heavily tolled North Texas.
And arguments that the debate over school choice is one between rural and suburban legislators should be ended given the fact that Republican primary voters supported reforms to allow tax dollars to follow children to the public, private, or homeschool of their choice by more than 50 percent.
That includes support from East Texas, West Texas, and South Texas.
Such a showing should give conservatives additional ammunition with which to advocate for reform both in the Texas Capitol and in the US Capitol. They should also show incumbent Republicans that voters expect results from their elected officials.
