As Texans head to the polls for the upcoming primary election, both the state Democratic and Republican parties are offering voters a series of propositions designed to gauge public opinion. These propositions act as surveys rather than binding legislation, giving party leaders insight into voters’ priorities and helping shape potential legislative agendas.
Democratic Party Propositions
The Texas Democratic Party will present 13 propositions, allowing voters to express their stance on a range of policy issues:
Healthcare Expansion – Expand Medicaid and ensure access to affordable healthcare for all Texans.
Immigration Policy – Support humane immigration policies and pathways to citizenship.
Reproductive Rights – Protect Texans’ ability to make their own healthcare decisions, including reproductive choices.
Housing – Address the state’s housing crisis, improving affordability and access in urban and rural areas.
Education Funding – Fund public schools at the national average per-pupil rate.
Voter Registration – Make secure online voter registration accessible to all eligible residents.
Environment – Protect air, water, biodiversity, and other natural and cultural resources.
Cannabis Legalization – Legalize adult cannabis use and expunge records for low-level offenses.
Public Employee Salaries – Raise salaries for school and state employees to the national average, with cost-of-living adjustments every two years.
Redistricting Reform – Ban racially motivated and mid-decade redistricting, and create a non-partisan board to redraw lines every 10 years.
Tax Policy – Provide greater federal income tax relief for the working class, shifting the burden onto the wealthiest.
Public Transportation – Expand accessible transportation options in urban and rural communities.
Firearm Restrictions – Prevent individuals with a history of domestic abuse from purchasing firearms via “red flag” laws.
Republican Party Propositions
The Texas Republican Party will present 10 propositions focusing on fiscal, social, and governance issues:
Property Taxes – Base property taxes on purchase price and phase them out over six years through spending reductions.
Local Budget Approval – Require voter approval for any local government budget that raises property taxes.
Healthcare Access – Prohibit denial of healthcare based solely on vaccination status.
Life Education – Require public schools to teach that life begins at fertilization.
School Clinic Restrictions – Ban gender, sexuality, and reproductive clinics and services in K-12 schools.
Term Limits – Enact term limits for all elected officials.
Water Resources – Ban large-scale sale or export of Texas groundwater and surface water to any single entity.
Immigration Services – Reduce public services for individuals in the state illegally to limit taxpayer burden.
Legislative Leadership – Restrict awarding of committee leadership positions to Democrats.
Religious Law – Prohibit Sharia law in Texas.
Voting Format
For both parties, each proposition is framed as a simple yes-or-no question. Voter responses will not enact new laws but will provide party leadership with a snapshot of public opinion ahead of legislative sessions.
Implications
Party officials say these surveys help identify priorities that resonate with voters, guide policy proposals, and influence legislative strategy in the coming year. While the propositions themselves carry no legal weight, they can signal the direction Texas Democrats and Republicans might pursue on key issues.
