In its current form, the Texas Constitution does not allow its citizens to propose initiatives, statutes, and amendments.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this petition is to demonstrate the support for creating a process by which Texans can propose ballot initiatives to amend the Texas State Constitution without a joint resolution from the Texas State Legislature. This process involves collecting a required amount of signatures from registered voters to qualify for "the ballot." 

How is the Texas State Constitution currently amended? 

The Texas State Legislature convenes on a basis (every other year) in a legislative session that lasts a maximum of 140 days. Currently, the Texas Constitution can only be amended by a joint resolution of both the Texas State House and the Texas State Senate. This means all Texans are at the mercy of the political agendas, gamesmanship, and red tape. When the clock runs out during the biennial session, unpassed initiatives fail, and when initiatives fail, our Legislature tables said initiatives for two years. 

Though our Governor can (and does) call special sessions to extend the biennial legislative session, initiatives still fail for lack of time during special sessions, and special sessions are costly for taxpayers. Allowing Texans to propose ballot initiatives would empower Texans to make progress on important issues regardless of whether the legislative clock runs out.

The lack of a process for citizen-led ballot initiatives is silencing all Texans, and Texans are unable to hold the Legislature accountable to make progress on initiatives that matter. This must change. We, Texans, demand the right to propose ballot initiatives, referendums, statutes, and amendments to our Texas State Constitution.

What is a ballot initiative? 
According to Citizens In Charge, ballot measures, also referred to as ballot initiatives and referendums (I&R), provide citizens the opportunity to discuss and vote on policy issues at the local level and state level. Using this process, twenty-four states allow its citizens to bring an issue to a public vote by gathering a pre-determined number of signatures from registered voters.

Are citizen-led ballot initiatives common? 

In 2001, Caroline Tolbert, et. al, wrote “In the two dozen states that currently permit the process, initiative politics are shaping not only policy outcomes, but also the nature of the democratic process itself. Currently, twenty-four states have adopted a ballot initiative process.

Why allow ballot initiatives in Texas?

By using pooled time series data for the 50 states over a 26-year period (1970-1996), Tolbert found that the presence and usage of the initiative process is associated with higher voter turnout in both presidential and midterm elections.

The disparity in turnout rates between initiative and noninitiative states has been increasing over time, estimated at 7% to 9% higher in midterm and 3% to 4.5% higher in presidential elections in the 1990s. Tolbert’s analysis suggests that the initiative process can and does play a positive role in increasing electoral participation.

Furthermore, research shows that elected officials are more compelled to advance legislative initiatives when they know citizen-led initiatives will advance in the absence of legislative progress. Thus, the overall impact of ballot initiatives is to create a more efficiency and accountable legislative process. 

Sign this petition to demonstrate your support for a process to allow Texans to propose initiatives, referendums, statutes, and amendments to the Texas State Constitution without a joint resolution from the Texas State Legislature.