I’ve been reading historian Jill Lepore’s We the People as part of my study of the U.S. Constitution. The framers never believed their creation would be perfect or unchanging. They built a document that could be amended—changed, refined, and made better by the people it would govern. They saw the power to amend as the purest form of self-government.
That same principle runs deep in Texas. Our state constitution was written by people who had seen what happens when government drifts too far from ordinary citizens. They made it long and detailed on purpose so that no major policy could take effect without a vote of the people. Texas has more than 500 constitutional amendments already—and 17 more on the ballot this November.
Some call that messy. I call it proof that Texans have never trusted the government to act alone. We’ve always wanted the people to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to the laws that govern our state.
To amend something means to fix it, renew it, or make it more productive. Anyone who’s worked on a farm or in a garden understands that. When the soil wears thin, you amend it so it can produce again. The framers—many of them farmers—understood that same truth about democracy. It only stays healthy when people are willing to work it.
When we vote on constitutional amendments, we’re deciding what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs attention. This is how Texans—not politicians—shape our state.
On November 4, you can have a say on 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. For rural Texans, several deserve special attention.
Proposition 1 would create permanent funds for the Texas State Technical College system—the schools that train welders, linemen, nurses, and mechanics. For small towns far from a university campus, this fund will allow investments in the young people in our communities. We need these trades in our small towns. They provide good-paying jobs for young people who want to build a future close to home—especially those who can’t afford to attend college or leave their families behind.
Proposition 4 would dedicate a portion of state sales-tax revenue to create the new Texas Water Fund—a dedicated funding source for one of the most important investments the state can make: our water. This amendment would direct $1 billion per year for 20 years toward long-term water infrastructure that supports every community, from our largest cities to our smallest towns. It ensures that water remains a priority even as competing funding needs strain the state budget. Proposition 4 is the long-term solution Texas needs to make sure every community—rural and urban alike—has reliable water for generations to come.
Propositions 5, 8, and 9 also provide meaningful relief for rural Texans. Prop 5 exempts animal-feed inventory from property taxes, helping feed stores, co-ops, and farms stay viable. Prop 8 bans inheritance and gift taxes, allowing family land to pass to the next generation without being taxed twice. Prop 9 lets small businesses and farms deduct equipment value, easing costs on tractors and machinery.
Together, these measures strengthen rural economies and protect the people who keep Texas growing.
Lepore writes that when citizens stop amending and engaging, constitutions harden and power concentrates. The framers built the amendment process precisely to prevent that. They trusted future generations to correct and renew what they created.
That trust still defines Texas. Every time we vote on constitutional amendments, we’re taking ownership of the laws that shape our lives. It might seem insignificant, but it’s what keeps democracy local, personal, and alive. If we ignore that responsibility, the soil of self-government dries up. When we participate, we keep it fertile for the next crop of Texans who will inherit it.
That’s what Dirt Democracy means—the understanding that democracy, like the land, only stays healthy when people are willing to care for it. So be sure to research the amendments, show up, and decide for yourself.
Early voting begins Monday, Oct. 20. Before you head to the polls, take time to learn about all 17 amendments. Talk them over at the football game, the coffee shop, the feed store, or after church. Ask how they’ll affect your family, your land, your schools, and your town. Then go vote.
The Texas Constitution doesn’t belong to Austin. It belongs to us. And it only stays strong if we take the time to amend it when it needs tending.
That’s not politics. That’s Dirt Democracy.
About the author
Suzanne Bellsnyder is editor and publisher of the Hansford County Reporter-Statesman and Sherman County Gazette. A former Capitol staffer with decades of experience in Texas politics and policy, she now focuses on how state decisions shape rural life through her newspapers and the Texas Rural Reporter. You can subscribe to the newsletter at www.TexasRuralReporter.Substack.com.