Burnt Orange Report

YCT-UT Amendment Positions

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

The Young Conservatives of Texas at Austin have released their positions on the Constitutional Amendments. A short chart of how these compare to UDems is listed below, the reasons for their endorsements are in the extended entry. I disagree with a number of these, even on the UDems side. I'll be releasing Burnt Orange Report endorsements over the next week. While other writers here are free to disagree on them and post their positions on specific propositions, I will list mine in the side column as they have been before.

UDems / YCT
1: Against / Against
2: Against / For
3: For / Against
4: For / For
5: Against / For
6: For / -
7: Against / For
8: Against / -
9: Against / Against

Prop. 1 – The constitutional amendment creating the Texas rail relocation and improvement fund and authorizing grants of money and issuance of obligations for financing the relocation, rehabilitation, and expansion of rail facilities.

YCT Position: NO. YCT opposes using public funds to rehabilitate or otherwise subsidize private business enterprises.

Prop. 2 - The constitutional amendment providing that marriage in this state consists only of the union of one man and one woman and prohibiting this state or a political subdivision of this state from creating or recognizing any legal status identical or similar to marriage.

YCT Position: YES. YCT supports the traditional definition of marriage and favors constitutional protections to prevent activist state judges in the present or the future from redefining it.

Prop. 3 - The constitutional amendment clarifying that certain economic development programs do not constitute a debt.

YCT Position: NO. YCT opposes efforts to ease restrictions on taxpayer funded economic development, as it is corporate welfare.

Prop. 4 - The constitutional amendment authorizing the denial of bail to a criminal defendant who violates a condition of the defendant's release pending trial."

YCT Position: YES. YCT favors protecting potential crime victims by empowering judges to deny bail to criminals who violate the terms of their release.

Prop. 5 - The constitutional amendment allowing the legislature to define rates of interest for commercial loans.

YCT Position: YES. YCT favors permitting the free market to determine interest rates rather than the Legislature.

Prop. 7 - The constitutional amendment authorizing line-of-credit advances under a reverse mortgage.

YCT Position: YES. YCT believes that free market principles warrant permitting homeowners and financial institutions to determine the terms of a reverse mortgage.

Prop. 9 - The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for a six-year term for a board member of a regional mobility authority.

YCT Position: NO. YCT believes that unelected boards that could authorize toll roads should not be given longer terms than elected government officials.