TUESDAY November 7, 2023 VOLUME 113 ISSUE 14 www.UniversityStar.com
Prop 5 to increase funding at Texas public universities By James Phillips News Contributor Proposition 5 (Prop 5), a constitutional proposition being voted on this ballot, is a proposal to create a fund for upcoming tier-two research institutions such as Texas State. The proposed Texas University Fund (TUF) would be a $3.5 billion dollar endowment for schools that have spent at least $20 million in private and federal research funds for at least three years in a row. Nathan McDaniel, a lobbyist for Prop 5, said the proposition is a long time coming and will help Texas universities catch up with other states. "The state of California has 10 tier-one institutions, the state of North Carolina has 3 in a one hour drive of each other," McDaniel said. "[This] means we are behind and [Prop 5] is a step in the right direction." The fund is a reorganization and expansion of the previous National Research University Fund with additional funding from the state's "rainy day" fund and a one-time allotment of $3 billion from the state’s budget surplus. Because the money is from existing accounts, Prop 5 will not create any more taxes. "These [surplus] dollars come from sales tax, property tax and online shopping during COVID-19," McDaniel said. "[During COVID-19], tax revenue went through the roof." According to McDaniel, Texas State, one of the qualifying universities, would receive an additional $40 million per year for research-specific activities.
INFOGRAPHIC BY SARAH MANNING
First-time voters exercise their right at the polls
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The Main Point is an opinion written by The University Star's Editorial Board. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of our entire publication.
Local elections deserve attention
By Lucciana Choueiry News Reporter As the highly anticipated Election Day edges closer in the San Marcos community, a buzz surrounds the Texas State campus as some students prepare to exercise their right to vote for the first time. In the upcoming city general election, eligible citizens are casting their vote for 14 Texas propositions and council members in places three and four. Currently, Alyssa Garza and Shane Scott occupy these positions, respectively.
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PHOTO BY CARLENE OTTAH
Academic adviser Claire Richardson (left) receives her access code from team leader Aart Millecam (back), Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at the LBJ Student Center.
By Editorial Board Though they’re tedious and easy for students to ignore, local elections are one of the most important parts of democracy in the U.S. National elections are often common knowledge. They dominate both mainstream media and social media platforms, allowing people to learn about who and what is on the ballot. Local elections, however, get less coverage which often leads to low voter turnout. An article from The New York Times stated only 27% of eligible voters show up for local elections. According to the Texas Tribune, “Texas was founded with one of the country’s most restrictive constitutions,” which limits
what the government can do. Because of this, Texas is a state with an excess amount of elections to put as many offices on the ballot as possible to ensure citizens “[have] a say in their elected officials on every level of the government.” While these elections were put in place as a positive measure, they caused voter turnout in Texas to be incredibly low, as people have trouble keeping up with each different election. “I think people don't understand the impact of local elections on their daily life and so they just don't turn out for them,” Hays County Elections Administrator and Voter Registrar Jennifer Doinoff said. “People just lose track of when we're having elections.”
Voter turnout in college towns used to be relatively low, however, it has risen in recent years, jumping to 66% in the 2020 presidential election according to a report released by Tufts University. While college students are showing up for national elections, it is equally, if not more important for them to show up for local elections. Of 13 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution, there are two that students should pay attention to. Proposition 5 will allow Texas lawmakers to create a $3.9 billion endowment “to help other ‘emerging’ research universities” in Texas, including Texas State, according to San Antonio Express News.
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Texas Rising at TXST encourages students to vote, find individual voices By Haley Velasco Life and Arts Editor According to Statista, in 2022, adults from the age of 1824 were the lowest group of registered voters in the U.S. with only 49.1% being registered. Texas Rising at Texas State is here to change that. Texas Rising is a nonprofit, nonpartisan project within Texas Freedom Network, a statewide grassroots organization with a mission toward equality and social justice. The main mission of Texas Rising is to promote voter education and outreach to college students. Since 2018, Texas Rising has created chapters on more than 20 col-
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lege campuses in Texas, including the University of Texas at Austin, Baylor University, Texas A&M and Texas State. “Our main goal is to empower young people,” Isabella Nieto, Texas Rising’s regional program coordinator for San Antonio and San Marcos, said. “Those are the people that we’re trying to reach and get more involved to feel like they have the skills, capacity and the voice to advocate for themselves and others.” Along with encouraging students to register to vote, Texas Rising also advocates for reproductive justice, climate justice, LGBTQ+ equality, immigration and criminal justice reform and more, according to Nieto. ILLUSTRATION BY ITZIE PULIDO