# Suspicious Email re: Texas Homestead Exemption

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspicious-email-re-texas-homestead-exemption/402403>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 2, 2007, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspicious-email-re-texas-homestead-exemption/402403 "2007-05-02T01:25:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspicious-email-re-texas-homestead-exemption/402403/1 "2007-05-02T01:25:27Z")

</div>

I recently got a suspicious email from an unreliable source about a constitutional amendment that will be on the Texas ballot in May, and I’m trying to see if there’s some scam involved.

> [@](#):
>
> Subject
> 
> You must vote in May to keep the homestead tax cap for 65 and over
> 
> VERY IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS WHO ARE OVER 65 OR PLAN ON RETIRING IN  
> TEXAS.
> 
> Subject: You must vote in May to keep the homestead tax cap for 65 and  
> over
> 
> If you are a Texas homeowner then this is important to you. If you  
> agree, please pass along to all on your email lists.
> 
> This was sent to me, and I am passing it on. I am sending this email  
> to everyone on my email address list who lives in Texas. I want to be  
> sure you are aware  
> of a constitutional amendment that will be on the ballot at the May  
> election. It is an amendment to correct an error made by the lawmakers  
> when they voted for a reduction in school property taxes in 2005. When  
> the lawmakers voted for a one-third reduction school property taxes  
> beginning in 2006 and to be completed this year, they forgot about the  
> homestead exemption for senior citizens and  
> people with disabilities. The state constitution caps school property  
> taxes for homeowners 65 years and older and those who are disabled.  
> However, they DID NOT get the same reduction when the property tax cut  
> for schools was voted on two years ago. So an amendment is on the May  
> ballot to correct this error. The  
> problem is that most voters who are younger than 65 or not disabled  
> probably won’t even notice the amendment or care. PLEASE get out and  
> vote for this amendment if not for yourself then for your parents,  
> grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends. We would really appreciate your  
> getting the word out to all your friends and families to vote for this  
> amendment. The fear is that with a low voter turnout, the amendment  
> could very well not pass.
> 
> So, please, please pass the word and VOTE for the constitutional  
> amendment. Early voting will take place will April 30 - May 5 from 7 am  
> to 7 pm; May 6 from noon to 6 pm and May 7 - May 8 from 7 am to 7 pm.  
> Election day is May 12 from 7 am to 7 pm.

I couldn’t find it on Snopes but most of the sites that talk about it seem pretty tin-foily, e.g, [this one](http://www.political.com/gossip-arc/latest.html) which says, “There is a \*\*secret \*\*constitutional amendment on the ballet on May 12…” Now I don’t know how they expect to keep a constitutional amendment that will be on every single ballot in Texas very secret, but this guy thinks so.

So what’s up with this?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspicious-email-re-texas-homestead-exemption/402403/2 "2007-05-02T01:51:31Z")

</div>

[Yes, it will be on the ballot](http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/laws/sr13.shtml) and [here’s the bill](http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/html/SJ00013F.htm). It’s only “secret” in the sense that it’s not getting much press (and the ballot language really isn’t too clear on what’s being proposed anyway).