It marks the first time in more than a decade that the nonpartisan organization has endorsed a constitutional amendment in Texas.
AUSTIN, Texas — For the first time in more than a decade, the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Texas is endorsing one statewide constitutional amendment on the November ballot.
That item, Proposition 4, would set aside $1 billion per year from existing sales tax revenue over 20 years, from 2027 to 2047, to fund water infrastructure. The money would create new water supply, fix aging systems and build flood protection in a state seeing growing population, a busy economy and a hotter and drier climate.
Photo credit: KVUE.com
In a statement, LWV of Texas President Joyce LeBombard highlighted the “dire state of our water resources in Texas.”
LWV of Texas’s last endorsement was in 2013, for a constitutional amendment that created the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT), which also provided financing for water projects.
On Tuesday, KVUE spoke with Valerie DeBill, vice president of Voter Service for LWV’s Austin chapter.
“It doesn’t raise any new taxes,” DeBill said. “This comes out of the existing state sales tax.”
She added, “We leak enough water right now into the soil from our current pipes to provide water for Austin and El Paso and Laredo and a couple of other smaller cities every year.”
Jeremy Mazur, the director of Infrastructure and Natural Resources Policy for the nonpartisan think tank and advocacy group Texas 2036, reacted on Tuesday to that endorsement.
“This is outstanding news,” Mazur said.
Mazur said it aligns with sentiment he’s hearing from civic and business organizations statewide.
“If we don’t solve our water infrastructure problems, we’re looking at hundreds of billions in economic losses, millions of jobs lost as well, and people leaving Texas,” he said.
In a recent report, Texas 2036 found the state needs nearly $154 billion within 50 years for water infrastructure.
Mazur believes this $20 billion from Prop 4, if approved, could help draw other funding.
The key to getting this issue on the ballot was the passage of a bill by State Sen. Charles Perry during the legislative session. The Republican from Lubbock told KVUE in October he believes the fund, if approved, would weather any economic downturns.
“Obviously you’re going to have projects ongoing and in process to where unless you’re needing that money to start a new project, you’re probably going to have money to get you over the hump until the economy’s better,” Perry said.
Early voting runs through Friday, Oct. 31. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4.
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