Austin voters casting ballots to decide whether to decriminalize marijuana, ban “no-knock” warrants

As San Antonio voters headed to the polls Monday to decide the fate of the city’s largest-ever bond package, Austin residents began taking part in a historic election of their own.

Early voting started Monday on an Austin ballot proposition that would decriminalize weed in that city and bar police from using “no-knock” warrants.

Progressive voter mobilization organization Ground Game Texas launched a signature drive last fall to put the measure before voters in May. After the group turned in 33,000 signatures — 10,000 more than required under local ordinance — Austin City Council voted in January to add decriminalization to the ballot.

While district attorneys in San Antonio and other big Texas cities have recently shifted from jailing offenders busted with small quantities of pot to issuing citations, the Austin initiative would go a step further by codifying decriminalization.

Stay tuned.

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This article appears in Apr 20 – May 3, 2022.