The scaffolding that supports the letter of the edifice of the law erected for the citizenry by the solons of the state of the land of the brave in which we live is the prepositional phrase.

In May, 2022, Texans voted Yay or Nay on an amendment to the state constitution. In abridged form it read like this on the ballot:

A constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to… for… of… of… on… of… that may be imposed for… and… on… of… who is elderly or disabled to… from… in… of the maintenance and operations taxes imposed for… on the homestead.

(Proposition 1 of Senate Joint Resolution 2)

To assist voters in making their decision, the secretary of state, one John B. Scott, mailed out the following “Explanatory Statement” prior to the election. In abridged form it read like this:

SJR 2 proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to… for… of… of… on… of… that may be imposed for… and… on… of… who is elderly or disabled to… from… in… of the maintenance and operations taxes imposed for… on the homestead from the preceding tax year.

(John B. Scott’s “Explanatory Statement” [Bolding is mine — JMN]

The “Explanatory Statement” differed from the wording on the ballot in the particulars I bolded. The secretary of state’s value added is indelible.

Postscript: For the incredibly curious, here’s the full wording of the amendment that appeared on the ballot:

A constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for the reduction of the amount of a limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for general elementary and secondary public school purposes on the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled to reflect any statutory reduction from the preceding tax year in the maximum compressed rate of the maintenance and operations taxes imposed for those purposes on the homestead.

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