<P> Notwithstanding the large number of amendments (and proposed amendments) that the Texas Constitution has had since its inception, the only method of amending the Constitution prescribed by Article 17 is via the Legislature, subject to voter approval . The Constitution does not provide for amendment by initiative, constitutional convention, or any other means . A 1974 constitutional convention required the voters to amend the Constitution to add a separate section to this Article; the section was later repealed in 1999 . </P> <P> The section also prescribes specific details for notifying the public of elections to approve amendments . It requires that the legislature publish a notice in officially approved newspapers that briefly summarizes each amendment and shows how each amendment will be described on the ballot . It also requires that the full text of each amendment be posted at each county courthouse at least 50 days (but no sooner than 60 days) before the election date . </P> <P> Once an amendment passes it is compiled into the existing framework (i.e., text is either added or deleted), unlike the United States Constitution . </P> <P> Because of the unwieldiness of the state constitution, there have been attempts to draft a new constitution or to significantly revise the existing one: </P>

The texas constitution permits the election to the texas legislature of persons who are not