Lockhart residents frustrated with city's decision to go against marijuana decriminalization
LOCKHART, Texas - A protest is planned ahead of Thursday night's Lockhart City Council meeting.
Residents are frustrated with the city's decision to go against the majority vote on marijuana decriminalization.
What is the Lockhart Freedom Act?
The backstory:
Proposition A, also known as the Lockhart Freedom Act, allows marijuana possession in the amount of four ounces or fewer.
Voters passed it on the November ballot, but the Lockhart City Council acknowledged and disregarded that.
What they're saying:
"There is a ripple effect of impacts that having a charge on your record can lead to and so stopping the criminalization of a plant that again, over half the states in our country have already decriminalized," said Sam Benavides, Managing Editor at the Caldwell/Hays Examiner. "It's just common sense."
68% of Lockhart voters checked 'yes' on the November ballot by city council members who chose to disregard the passage of the Lockhart Freedom Act.
"State law prohibits cities from adopting policies that do not fully enforce both state and federal drug laws. This resolution acknowledges the passage of the Lockhart Freedom Act while also acknowledging the state law by which we are bound," a resident said.
What's next:
The Caldwell/Hays Examiner organized a protest and plans to hand out free pizzas ahead of the council meeting.
"These pies are going to be cut at 68% to remind local officials of the popularity of this ballot initiative," said Benavides.
Attorney General Ken Paxton filed lawsuits against other cities, including Austin, after they passed similar measures, but a Travis County judge dismissed those suits.
"As you know, the AG's office has sued several cities, including, most recently, the city of Dallas, for an almost identical provision," a resident said.
The council fears the risk of being slapped with a lawsuit and is calling on the Texas legislature and US Congress for clarity.
"We remind council members that Paxton's lawsuit trying to undo these Democratically initiative policies have lost in every city that they have been tried in," said Benavides.
The Lockhart City Council is addressing the controversial vote at 7:30 p.m. at the Eugene Clark Library.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Katie Pratt