All State Constitutional Amendments Approved

Eminent domain is one of those touchy subjects with landowners.

That must be why a state constitutional amendment restricting it passed by 81 percent statewide on Tuesday.

The margin in favor of Proposition 11 led a night in which all 11 constitutional amendments on the ballot in Texas passed.

Van Zandt County voters were right in line with the overwhelming support for eminent domain restrictions. Locally, 82 percent supported it, the unofficial count being 2,548 to 528.

Only Propositions 1 and 4 failed to find favor in Van Zandt County. Proposition 1, allowing the state to finance the creation of buffer areas around military installations, got 1,213 votes in favor in the county, while 1,822 voted against it.

Proposition 4, the measure to establish state funding to assist emerging research universities in Texas, drew 1,096 votes of support in Van Zandt County, while 1.914 voted against it.

Statewide, though, Proposition 1 passed by 55.1 percent while Proposition 4 drew 56.5 percent in support.

Those margins were based on 96 percent of voting precincts reporting statewide.

The other propositions all passed by varying margins as follows:

Proposition 2, to regulate how homestead ad valorem taxes are calculated: For, 68.15 percent; Against, 31.84 percent.

Proposition 3, to provide uniform standards for appraising property: For, 65.38 percent; Against, 34.61 percent.

Proposition 5, to establish single appraisal review boards for adjoining entities: For 61.60 percent; Against, 38.39 percent.

Proposition 6, to authorize the Veterans’ Land Board to issue bonds: For, 65.64 percent; Against, 34.35 percent.

Proposition 7, to allow a Texas State Guard officer or member to hold another civil office: For, 73.05 percent; Against, 26.94 percent.

Proposition 8, to authorize the state to contribute to Veterans’ Hospitals: For, 74.76 percent; Against, 25.23 percent.

Proposition 9, to protect the right of the public to access public beaches: For, 76.99 percent; Against, 23 percent.

Proposition 10, to limit elected emergency service district board members’ terms to no more than four years: For, 73.02 percent; Against, 26.97 percent.

Van Zandt County totals ("for" followed by "against") for the above propositions were:

Proposition 2: 2,009 to 1,062.

Proposition 3: 1,934 to 1,121.

Proposition 5: 1,602 to 1,364.

Proposition 6: 1,619 to 1,370.

Proposition 7: 2,162 to 888.

Proposition 8: 1.981 to 1,015.

Proposition 9: 3,729 to 1,635.

Proposition 10: 3,595 to 1,803.