$3B investment in dementia research on the line in November election

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Texas voters will have the choice to vote on 17 different constitutional amendments in the upcoming November election, one of which could create a new state agency that would make the state a leader in researching how to prevent dementia.

Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 5 and SJR 3 during the regular session with overwhelming bipartisan support. It would create the Dementia Prevention Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT), similar to the existing Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) that was approved by voters in 2008. Since it is a constitutional amendment, Texas voters would have to approve the initiative during the Nov. 4 election. The initiative is Proposition 14 on the ballot.

The institute would be responsible for awarding $3 billion worth of grants