2nd in 3 Part Series - Amendments 4 5 & 6 Examined
State Rep. Alonzo is is once again encouraging all voters to go to the polls on November 3 2009 to vote on the 11 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. In this weeks report we highlight Amendments 4 5 & 6 below. Last week examined Amendments 1-3; Next weeks Report will highlight Amendments 7 8 & 9. As he indicated in last weeks Capitol Report during the next few weeks we will be providing you with a more in depth overview of each them individually.
Amendment 4:
The constitutional amendment establishing the national research university fund to enable emerging research universities in this state to achieve national prominence as major research universities and transferring the balance of the higher education fund to the national research university fund.
Summary: The proposed amendment would create the national research university fund consisting of money transferred or deposited to the credit of the fund and any interest or other return on the investment of fund assets for the purpose of providing a dedicated independent and equitable source of funding to enable emerging state research universities in Texas to achieve national prominence as major research universities.
A state university receiving a distribution from the fund would be allowed to use that money only to support and maintain educational and general activities promoting increased research capacity at the university.
The proposed amendment would allow the legislature to dedicate state revenue such as that revenue presently allocated to the dormant permanent higher education fund (HEF) to the national research university funds credit and to appropriate in each state fiscal biennium all or a portion of the total return on all investment assets of the fund to carry out the purposes for which the fund is established.
The portion of the total return available for appropriation would be the amount determined by the legislature or by an agency designated by statute as
necessary to provide as nearly as practicable a stable and predictable stream of annual distributions to eligible state universities and to maintain over time the purchasing power of the fund investment assets. The amount appropriated from the fund in any fiscal year would be capped at seven percent of the investment assets average net fair market value as determined by law.
The proposed amendment would require the legislature to provide for the funds administration and to allocate or provide for the allocation of the appropriated amounts to eligible state universities on a biennial basis and would require the allocation to be based on an equitable formula established by the legislat ure or an agency designated by statute and reviewed and adjusted as necessary at the end of each state fiscal biennium.
The proposed amendment would require the legislature to establish eligibility criteria for a state university to share in the distribut ions from the fund and would provide that a university that becomes eligible remains eligible to receive additional distributions in subsequent state fiscal bienniums.
The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University would not be eligible to receive money from the fund.
A temporary provision applicable to the proposed amendment would provide for the amendment to take effect January 1 2010 and would require any amount in or payable to the credit of the permanent HEF to be transferred on that date to the credit of the national research university fund. This temporary provision would expire January 1 2011.
Amendment 5:
The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to authorize a single board of equalization for two or more adjoining appraisal entities that elect to provide for consolidated equalizations.
Summary: Currently the constitution requires the legislature to provide by law for a single appraisal within each county of all property subject to property taxation by the various taxing units located in that county. That subsection permits the legislature to authorize appraisals outside a county when political
subdivisions are situated in more than one county or when two or more counties elect to consolidate appraisal services.
Additionally it requires the legislature to provide for a single board of equalization for each appraisal entity consisting of qualified residents of the territory appraised by the appraisal entity.
The proposed amendment would allow the legislature by general law to authorize a single board of equalization for two or more adjoining appraisal entities that elect to provide for consolidated equalizations.
Amendment 6:
The constitutional amendment authorizing the Veterans Land Board to issue general obligation bonds in amounts equal to or less than amounts previously authorized.
Summary: The proposed amendment would amend Section 49-b(w) to authorize the VLB to provide for issue and sell general obligation bonds of the state for the purpose of selling land to Texas veterans or providing them home or land mortgage loans.
The proposed amendment would remove the $500 million cap on the principal amount of bonds outstanding at any one time and instead require that the
principal amount of outstanding VLB bonds provided issued or sold for those purposes at all times be equal to or less than the aggregate principal amount of state general obligation bonds previously authorized for those purposes by prior constitutional amendments.
The proposed amendment also would prohibit bonds and other obligations issued or executed under this constitutional provision from being included in the computation required in determining the limit on state debt based on the amount of annual debt service payable from the general revenue fund.
The proposed amendment would require bond proceeds to be deposited in or used to benefit and augment the
Veterans Land Fund and the Veterans Housing Assistance Fund in addition to the Veterans Housing Assistance Fund II as determined appropriate by the VLB.
In the meantime if anyone would like to review all the amendments online they can go directly to a website by the Texas Legislative Council (TLC) by visiting
http://www.tlc.state.tx.us
Additionally if you would like a Spanish version of the amendments you can visit the Secretary of States Office website at
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/2009novballotexp -sp.shtml
In Support of Breast Awareness Month in October NFL Players to Wear PINK SHOES !!
Pink Cleats to Show Support Of Breast Cancer Awareness in the NFL Starting Sun Oct. 4
As part of the N.F.L.s support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October players will be wearing hot pink gear starting Sunday Oct. 4: gloves sweatbands towels. And cleats.
At least 100 players are expected to wear pink shoes. Think sprinter Michael Johnsons Olympic-era gold shoes but more neon.
The idea for the shoes came from Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams. He had heard about the other pink items the N.F.L. had planned for teams and proposed the cleats because of their primacy to players.
From NY Times 2009 Sept. 30 by Judy Battista
subdivisions are situated in more than one county or when two or more counties elect to consolidate appraisal services.
Additionally it requires the legislature to provide for a single board of equalization for each appraisal entity consisting of qualified residents of the territory appraised by the appraisal entity.
The proposed amendment would allow the legislature by general law to authorize a single board of equalization for two or more adjoining appraisal entities that elect to provide for consolidated equalizations.
Amendment 6:
The constitutional amendment authorizing the Veterans Land Board to issue general obligation bonds in amounts equal to or less than amounts previously authorized.
Summary: The proposed amendment would amend Section 49-b(w) to authorize the VLB to provide for issue and sell general obligation bonds of the state for the purpose of selling land to Texas veterans or providing them home or land mortgage loans.
The proposed amendment would remove the $500 million cap on the principal amount of bonds outstanding at any one time and instead require that the 
