EDITOR'S NOTE: Otis C. Shearer III is a lawyer practicing business litigation, oil & gas litigation, bodily injury and other areas of law. He received a B.A. degree from University of Texas in 1962, and has been licensed for 58 years. Otis C. practices at Lemon, Shearer, Phillips & Good, P.C. in Booker, TX. He has long been a reliable source of objective and well-informed opinion on matters of Texas law, and has often offered welcome guidance on important issues to voters and readers of The Canadian Record. -- LEB
 

November 4’s election day presents amendments to the Texas Constitution. I have listened to the excellent analysis by the Texas League of Women Voters of each proposed amendment at www.lwvtexas.org. I will vote for all but the following amendments:

Propositions 2, 6 and 8 would benefit future wealthy investors of stocks and bonds by permanently prohibiting future taxes on capital gains, estates and security transactions. Wealthy donors now contribute significant campaign funds for Texas politicians, and they want to deny the right of Texans in the future to consider such taxes no matter how dire things might then financially be. I prefer to let allow voters to make those calls at that time rather than our now doing so. I will thus vote against those three propositions.

Proposition 15 should affirm that parents are the primary decision makers for their children. However, that right has already been established by years of court decisions and other laws.  Elevating their rights to constitutional status could disrupt public education due to parents trying to control curriculum and rules for all children based on their own beliefs and ideas. Also, elevation could prevent necessary intervention to protect children from abuse and neglect. I will vote no to 15.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Read The Canadian Record’s report on the November 4 Constitutional Amendment Election at https://www.canadianrecord.com/news/november-4-2025-special-election-part-two