Amendments are intended to make sure that we the people of the US form a perfect union, also insure domestic tranquility and accomplish peace and harmony, as stated in the preamble. .
The proposed constitutional amendments for September 2003 had a total of 22 propositions this year. The Texas Legislature has tried to amend the Texas Constitution 587 times. The Texans people have said "NO- 177 times to the Texas constitution. Now, Texans are being asked to vote for or against twenty-two constitutional Amendments. .
I chose to address proposition three because I have an interest in this issue. I attend church on a regular basis, I was not aware of how the churches are affected by and or protected by the government in regards to taxes. .
The ballot proposal reads: "The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to Exempt from ad valorem taxation property owned by a religious organization that is leased for use as a school or that is owned with the intent of expanding or constructing a religious facility."".
Proponents of the amendment argue that the first exemption would relieve an unfair burden on churches that are planning for future expansion, and that the second exemption would eliminate an unfair distinction between property owners who directly operate a school and property owners who lease out their property for use as a school. These arguments are not convincing. .
The first exemption threatens to expand the privileges of religious organization to an excessive degree, and has considerable opportunity for abuse. The second exemption replaces a questionable distinction of tax law with an outrageous distinction "it would not give any other organizations exemptions on land they lease out for use as a school, but would give such an exemption to religious organizations simply because many such organizations have an interest in education. That is a blatantly discriminatory distinction and should be opposed.