Voters approve state Proposition 1

2 min read

Published October 27, 2014 at 12:00 a.m. CTUpdated April 28, 2015

Updated 10:34 p.m. CST

According to unofficial results, State Proposition 1, which will amend the state's constitution to provide more funding for roads, has passed with 3,192,488 votes of approval, or 79.78 percent, with 8,378 of 8,453 precincts reporting.

In a prepared statement, Scott Haywood, president of Move Texas Forward, an organization dedicated to lobbying for increased road funding, said the resounding approval sends a clear message that Texans want more funding for roads.

"[The Texas Department of Transportation] now stands to receive an additional $1.7 billion for road and bridge projects in the next year without new taxes, tolls or debt," he said. "However, passing Proposition 1 was just the first step in addressing the transportation funding shortfall in Texas. We look forward to continue working with our coalition partners as we fight for the additional funding for transportation that will move Texas forward."

All results are unofficial until canvassed.

Posted: 7:16 p.m. CST

According to early voting results, Proposition 1, which would increase funding for road projects throughout Texas, has received 102,031 votes of approval, or 84.27 percent, with 14 of 8,453 precincts reporting.

Scott Haywood, a spokesman for Move Texas Forward, an organization dedicated to lobbying for increased road funding, said he was pleased with the results so far. Haywood said he believes the proposition will help Texas maintain a healthy economy.

Updated 10:34 p.m. CST

"Obviously it's a little early, but we're pleased with how things are going," Haywood said. "Where things are headed, Texas voters are sending a clear message that they want us putting more money into roads throughout the state."

Prop. 1 would amend the Texas Constitution to divert some of the taxes paid by the state's oil and gas companies to the State Highway Fund, which helps fund the Texas Department of Transportation. The state comptroller's most recent estimate pegs TxDOT's potential windfall from the proposition's passage at about $1.7 billion in the first year alone.

Currently 75 percent of the severance tax—essentially a production tax paid by oil and gas companies—goes to the state's Economic Stabilization Fund, also known as the Rainy Day Fund. If Prop. 1 passes, 37.5 percent of the tax would continue to go to the Rainy Day Fund, and 37.5 percent of the tax would go to the SHF. The remaining 25 percent would help fund the state's education system.

If approved, the money would come with an assortment of strings attached, including a provision barring the money from being used for toll roads. Another provision would force TxDOT to identify $100 million of savings in order to make the department run more efficiently.

Voters approve state Proposition 1

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Voters approve state Proposition 1

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