November 7; Prop 9 Yes or No?

September 21, 2023 – Texas voters will have a chance to vote on several issues this fall. There are 14 constitutional amendments on the ballot. Proposed Amendment 9, or Prop 9, deals specifically with cost-of-living adjustments for some retired Texas Teachers and their beneficiaries.

Prop 9 would provide for cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for certain annuitants, who meet criteria provided by law, of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. Annuitants are persons who receive service retirement benefits, disability retirement benefits, or death benefits from the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.

Prop 9 is widely supported by Teachers and Teacher Unions. Funds will be taken from the Texas Budget Surplus and added to the pension funds. This means that the measure should not directly increase taxes. Money given to qualified retired teachers could also be spent locally and therefore could be considered a economic stimulus.

Those who do not support the amendment point out that the approximately 5 billion dollars proposed cash transfer does not directly go to help alleviate the massive teacher shortage affecting Texas Public Schools.

Early voting will begin in October and Election day will be November 7, 2023.