Despite retaliation by state officials against cities that have taken similar steps, some Dallas officials are hoping to decriminalize low levels of marijuana in the city.
District 1 Council Member Chad West and other city leaders will propose the change as a charter amendment at the end of June, according to a Friday press release.
The amendment would direct the Dallas Police Department to “stop issuing citations or making arrests for Class A or Class B misdemeanor marijuana possession.”
West said in the release that the amendment would mirror a similar effort spurred by Ground Game Texas, a group that works “to advance social justice while strengthening” democracy, according to its website.
The group’s “Dallas Freedom Act” petition has over 50,000 signatures, according to Friday’s press release from West’s office.
“Voters in our city and across the country want to decriminalize marijuana,” West said. “Our already burdened police should focus their attention on serious crime, not arresting people with small amounts of marijuana. Bringing this to voters through a City Council-proposed Charter amendment instead of a petition will save the city time and resources.”
Catina Voellinger, the executive director of Ground Game Texas, said in the release that the campaign “embodies the demands of a broader movement for justice and local democracy, and has only been possible because of the local community, partners and campaign workers.”
But the call to action also comes at a time when cannabis usage in Texas is highly contested — even though officials at the federal level work to reclassified at the federal level.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has already sued multiple cities including Austin and Denton for passing similar ordinances.
“I will not stand idly by as cities run by pro-crime extremists deliberately violate Texas law and promote the use of illicit drugs that harm our communities,” Paxton wrote in a press release earlier this year.
Still, Ground Game Texas continues with their effort — which now seems to have some city council support.
West says the group's petition likely has enough signatures to trigger a ballot referendum on the issue.
"My goal here, even knowing Ken Paxton is most likely going to immediately sue us, is to save the city secretary...working through the entire month of July having to ratify all of these petitions," West told KERA on Friday. “We might as well just add it ourselves to send a message to Austin, that we support what 70% of our residents support.”
West said there's going to be a drain on city resources either with — with the referendum or a legal fight with the state.
"Based on all indication, we're going to have 70% of our electorate vote to support that charter amendment," West said. "Either way we're going to get sued...we might as well be the most prudent with our city resources that we can."
The city has already discussed lowering the penalties for cannabis use in Dallas. And some council members say they already know the disparities in policing when it comes to possession of the drug.
“For the past four years I have advocated for our council to implement this kind of initiative,” District 7 Council Member Adam Bazaldua was quoted saying in the press release. “Our jails are overfilled with predominately brown and black males serving sentences for a substance that is making others millions of dollars in more than 30 states across the country. It’s past time we take action against this injustice.”
Along with West and Bazaldua, District 5 Council Member Jaime Resendez, first-term Council Member Zarin Gracy, who represents District 3, and former council member Phillip Kingston, also endorsed the upcoming charter amendment proposal.
Resendez said in the press release that despite previous steps taken by city and police leaders, “marijuana-related arrests continue, and racial disparities persist.”
“Although marijuana use is comparable across racial lines, Black and Latino individuals are disproportionately arrested and punished. Decriminalization is the best way to address this disparity,” Resendez added.
Gracey said in the press release that “decriminalizing marijuana is not just about changing laws; it's about rectifying decades of injustice and ensuring that our legal system is fair and equitable for all.”
Now it's up to the council to decide where to send this proposal to Dallas voters in November. West told KERA to avoid city meeting issues, he only talked to handful of his colleagues. He said he has at least four votes in his favor.
"My thought would be, any council member that votes against it, should volunteer to help...the city secretary in July to count and ratify all the ballots," West said. "They're basically telling her she needs to get to work, because she's going to have to do it anyway."
If adopted by the council, Dallas voters will have the chance to make the final decision during the November election.
Got a tip? Email Nathan Collins at ncollins@kera.org. You can follow Nathan on Twitter @nathannotforyou.
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