Farming rights on the ballot in November election
An Edinburg farmer says he believes a constitutional amendment on the Nov. 7 election is critical to ranchers and farmers.
If passed by Texas voters, Proposition 1 would protect the right to engage in farming, ranching, timber production, horticulture and wildlife management.
“We the local farmers are the ones that bring a lot of the food to your table because there aren't many restrictions,” Daniel Cordero said.
The proposition was written by a state Rep. Dwayne Burns, who said farming rights are needed as the Texas population grows.
“The law is designed to try and protect local government overreach, and that is the key here because the fight is essentially over how much regulation do local governments have,” UTSA political science professor Jon Taylor said.
Opponents believe the proposition would take away a city's ability to hold farmers and ranchers accountable. If passed, the proposition would only allow a city to implement an ordinance if it can prove if there is a threat to public health and safety, animal and crop growth could be in danger, or to conserve the state's natural resources.
Early voting will continue through Friday, Nov. 3.
For more Election Day resources, head over to the Channel 5 News Elections page.