By Lauren Fairbanks and J Pete Laney
TAD Governmental Affairs
While election announcements have cooled in the last few weeks, there have been several gubernatorial appointments to state agencies.
Two open seats on the Texas Water Development Board recently were filled. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Brady Franks and Ashley Morgan to serve on the board.
Franks of Austin was state budget director in the Office of the Governor. Previously, he was co-founder and chief executive of a governmental relations firm, director of government relations at The University of Texas at Austin, and in various positions in the Texas House of Representatives. His term is set to expire on Feb. 1, 2031.
Morgan of Georgetown was an attorney at Erben & Yarbrough. She previously worked at several state agencies. Her term is set to expire on Feb. 1, 2027.
Additionally, Tonya Miller of Austin was appointed as Commissioner of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for a term set to expire on Aug. 31, 2031. Miller joins Chairwoman Brooke Paup and Commissioner Catarina Gonzales. Prior to being appointed to TCEQ, Miller served as a board member for the Texas Water Development Board since 2024. Miller has more than 20 years of experience in Texas state government focused on energy and environmental issues.
While reelection campaign kick-offs and retirement announcements have slowed recently, more announcements are possible ahead of the Dec. 8 candidate filing deadline for the March primaries.
Speaking of elections, voters can head to the polls on Nov. 4 for a state constitutional amendment election featuring 17 statewide propositions on the ballot. Constitutional amendments are the only ballot propositions Texans get to vote on at the state level and will appear on the top of voters’ ballots, above any local races or measures. Propositions on the ballot include:
- Prop 1 (SJR 59): Create a Permanent Technical Institution Infrastructure Fund and an Available Workforce Education Fund to support capital needs of Texas State Technical College programs.
- Prop 2 (SJR 18): Prohibit the Legislature from imposing a tax on realized or unrealized capital gains of individuals, families, estates or trusts.
- Prop 3 (SJR 5): Allow denial of bail under certain circumstances for persons accused of specified violent or sexual felonies.
- Prop 4 (HJR 7): Dedicate a portion of state sales and use tax revenue to the Texas Water Fund.
- Prop 5 (HJR 99): Authorize the Legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation animal feed held for sale at retail.
- Prop 6 (HJR 4): Prohibit the Legislature from imposing an occupation tax on entities involved in securities transactions or a tax on those transactions.
- Prop 7 (HJR 133): Allow a property tax exemption for the homestead of the surviving spouse of a veteran who died from a service-connected disease.
- Prop 8 (HJR 2): Prohibit the imposition of estate, inheritance, legacy, succession or gift taxes.
- Prop 9 (HJR 1): Authorize the Legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation a portion of tangible personal property used for producing income.
- Prop 10 (SJR 84): Permit the Legislature to provide a temporary property tax exemption for improvements to a homestead destroyed by fire.
- Prop 11 (SJR 85): Increase the amount of homestead exemption from school district taxes for elderly or disabled homeowners.
- Prop 12 (SJR 27): Alter the membership, authority and disciplinary processes of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct and review tribunals.
- Prop 13 (SJR 2): Raise the residence homestead exemption for school district taxes from $100,000 to $140,000.
- Prop 14 (SJR 3): Establish a Dementia Prevention & Research Institute of Texas and dedicate $3 billion from general revenue for its fund.
- Prop 15 (SJR 34): Affirm that parents have a right to make decisions about their children’s upbringing.
- Prop 16 (SJR 37): Clarify in the constitution that only U.S. citizens may vote in Texas elections.
- Prop 17 (HJR 34): Authorize the Legislature to exempt from property tax increases tied to border-security infrastructure built on property in counties bordering Mexico.
Early voting in the Nov. 4 election runs from Oct. 20-31. The deadline for counties to receive applications to vote by mail is Oct. 24.
