HD10 open: As expected, former Rep. John Wray (R-Waxahachie) announced he would seek the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep.-elect Jake Ellzey (R-Waxahachie).
“I took time off to spend more time with my family and or Ellis County community,” Wray said in a statement. “With Jake heading to Congress, I can’t stay on the sidelines.”
A special election will be required to fill Ellzey’s unexpired term.
CD6: U.S. Rep.-elect Jake Ellzey (R-Waxahachie) will be sworn in to office tomorrow (Friday) at the U.S. Capitol.
Redistricting: The U.S. Census Bureau will provide redistricting data to states by August 16, according to a news release. Data will consist of population counts by race, Hispanic origin and voting age and housing unit data for counties, cities and designated places, census tracts and census blocks. Data will be released in “the legacy format that state officials have used the last two decades.” The bureau will release census redistricting data in an “easier to use format” by September 30.
Constitutional Amendments: The Secretary of State’s office conducted its biennial drawing for the ballot order of constitutional amendments proposed during the regular legislative session:
- Prop 1: charitable raffles at rodeo venues
- Prop 2: allowing counties to finance (re)development of “unproductive, underdeveloped or blighted areas”
- Prop 3: prohibiting the “prohibiting or limiting religious services”
- Prop 4: changes to eligibility requirements for state judges
- Prop 5: expands powers of State Commission on Judicial Conduct
- Prop 6: providing for right to in-person visitation by nursing home residents
- Prop 7: property tax relief for surviving spouses of disabled people
- Prop 8: homestead exemption for surviving spouses of military service members killed in action
Voters must affirm a proposition by majority vote to amend the state constitution. Election Day is November 2.
In 2019, voters approved nine of 10 propositions. They rejected a measure that would have permitted municipal judges to hold another public office, making it the first constitutional amendment proposition to fail to pass since 2011. Voters have rejected six of the 122 constitutional amendments in odd-numbered years since 2001. The state constitution has been amended 267 times since 1979.
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