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If you look at the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights comes at the very end as amendments — but in Texas, the writers put their Bill of Rights right on page one as Article 1.
When Texas leaders wrote the 1876 Texas Constitution, they wanted to make sure the government could never touch citizen liberties, so they placed individual rights first before designing any branch of government.
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How do these state protections work when you already have federal rights?
Fundamental Freedoms
The Texas Bill of Rights guarantees core freedoms like freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion.
Section 6 clearly states that no person can be compelled to attend or support any place of worship, ensuring total religious liberty for every Texan.
Are Texas citizen rights just a copy of the national rules, or does Texas add extra layers of protection?
Unique Texas Rights
A state constitution can never take away rights granted by the U.S. Constitution, but it can grant expanded protections that go further.
In 1972, Texas voters added Section 3a, known as the Texas Equal Rights Amendment, which explicitly bans discrimination based on sex, race, color, creed, or national origin.
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Texas also added Section 30 in 1989, giving crime victims' rights constitutional status so victims are treated with fairness, dignity, and have a voice in court proceedings.