(The Center Square) – Gov. Greg Abbott has signed three resolutions to have constitutional amendments added to the Nov. 4, 2025, ballot for voters to approve or reject.
One would clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote. Two others would ban new taxes from being levied. They passed with bipartisan support, with only Democrats voting against them.
Abbott signed SJR 37 on Monday, filed by state Sen. Brian Birdwell, which clarifies that only U.S. citizens can vote in Texas.
“I just signed off on a joint resolution to make it crystal clear that under the Texas Constitution that if you are not a citizen of the United States of America, you are not allowed to vote in Texas,” Abbott said.
The Senate passed it by a vote of 28-3; Democrats Cook, Eckhardt and Gutierrez voted no.
The House passed it by a vote of 102-14; 22 voted “present, not voting.”
Fourteen Democrats voted no: Bowers; Davis, Y.; González, M.; Jones, J.; Jones, V.; Lopez, R.; Martinez Fischer; Meza; Rose; Rosenthal; Thompson; Ward Johnson; Wu; Zwiener, according to the recorded vote.
Twenty-two Democrats voted “present, not voting”: Anchía; Bhojani; Bryant; Bucy; Cole; Collier; Gámez; Garcia, L.; Garcia Hernandez; Goodwin; Hernandez; Howard; Johnson; Moody; Morales, C.; Morales Shaw; Perez, V.; Reynolds; Rodríguez Ramos; Romero; Turner; Walle.
Earlier this month, Abbott signed two resolutions that ban certain taxes from being levied.
As part of a package of pro-growth business bills, he signed HJR 4, filed by Republican state Rep. Morgan Meyer. It would prohibit a future legislature from levying taxes on securities transactions and protect retirement accounts from transactions taxes, The Center Square reported. This was part of a package advancing Texas’ first stock exchange facilitated by the governor and Republican- led legislature.
Abbott announced the launch of the Texas Stock Exchange in October 2024 as an alternative to the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, where companies have complained about hostile policies including diversity, equity and inclusion, which are banned in Texas.
The Texas Senate passed it by a vote of 28-3; Democrats Cook, Eckhardt and Gutierrez voted no.
The Texas House passed it by a vote of 111-31. Several votes were recorded inaccurately or not recorded, members said in statements entered into the record.
Republican state Reps. Mark Dorazio, Janie Lopez, Jared Patterson and Terry Wilson said their votes were recorded as a no when they were supposed to be a yes. Democratic Reps. Ramon Romero Jr., said his no vote should have been a yes; Aicha Davis and Patrick Rose said their no votes failed to register.
Twenty-six Democrats’ no votes were accurately reported: Allen; Bryant; Campos; Collier; Davis, Y.; Flores; Garcia, J.; Garcia, L.; González, J.; González, M.; Goodwin; Hinojosa; Howard; Jones, J.; Jones, V.; Meza; Morales, C.; Perez, V.; Reynolds; Rodríguez Ramos; Rosenthal; Thompson; Walle; Ward Johnson; Wu; Zwiener.
Abbott also signed SJR 18 to ban a capital gains tax in Texas. The resolution, filed by state Rep. Charles Perry, would prohibit a future legislature from implementing a tax on the realized or unrealized capital gains of an individual, family, estate, or trust. It doesn’t apply to property taxes, sales taxes, general business taxes among others.
The Texas Senate passed it by a vote of 25-6. Six Democrats voted against it: Cook, Eckhardt, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles and West.
The Texas House passed it by a vote of 104-26; 11 voted “present, not voting.”
Twenty-six Democrats voted no: Anchía; Bryant; Bucy; Campos; Canales; Collier; Davis, Y.; Flores; Garcia, J.; González, M.; Goodwin; Manuel; Martinez Fischer; Meza; Moody; Morales, C.; Muñoz; Reynolds; Romero; Rose; Rosenthal; Simmons; Thompson; Turner; Walle; Wu.
Eleven Democrats voted “present, not voting:” Bhojani; Bowers; Garcia Hernandez; Gervin-Hawkins; Hinojosa; Howard; Martinez; Rodríguez Ramos; Talarico; Zwiener.
After the vote, several Democrats said they intended to vote no: Garcia Hernandez, J. Jones, V. Jones, E. Morales, and Ordaz. Reps. Morales Shaw would have voted “present, not voting;” Muñoz said his no vote should have been a yes, according to the House Journal.
Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds vote in the Texas legislature and approval of voters. In 2023, Texas voters approved Proposition 3 banning a wealth tax; in 2019, they approved Proposition 4 banning a state income tax.