On Nov. 6 voters across Texas will head to the polls to decide the fate on 16 constitutional amendments, but none of the proposed measures is as important to open government as Proposition 11.

Prop. 11 requires state legislators to cast record votes on final passage of legislation, which means citizens would finally be able to find out how their state representatives voted on a piece of legislation.

The amendment would record each legislator’s vote in the appropriate journal and make the votes available for at least two years on the Internet. Legislation would be listed by bill number or subject of the bill or resolution.

Texas is one of only 10 states nationwide that does not require record votes on final passage, although the Texas House this session did approve an amendment to its rules that requires votes to be recorded and made public on the third reading of a bill.

The fight to get record votes at the state legislature began in earnest severl years ago in the 2003 session. The Dallas Morning News was at the forefront of the issue and, with support from several advocacy groups, helped push through the measure in the 2007 session where legislators finally agreed to pass a bill and put the issue before voters.

The Texas Daily Newspaper Association/TPA Legislative Advisory Committee supported the measure during the session and LAC chairman Fred Hartman wrote an editorial urging its passage.

But now Prop. 11’s fate rests with Texas voters and Texas newspapers have an opportunity to inform the public about Prop. 11 and how important it is to open government. TPA is calling on member newspapers to get behind the issue and support the public ’s right to know.

TPA has posted links on its Web site to help newspapers cover the issue as well as all the constitutional amendments. ”