Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is cracking down on five cities in the Lone Star State for what he sees as a defiance of state marijuana laws, filing lawsuits in a flurry of legal challenges. Paxton has set his sights on Austin, San Marcos, Killeen, Denton, and Elgin — taking a hard stance against their policies that stop just short of police arresting people for possessing small quantities of pot.
"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 said, according to KUT News.
They have been spearheading the charge to decriminalize marijuana, successfully introducing ballot propositions that align with the will of the people as evidenced by the election results, as reported by KVUE.
In response to Paxton's legal actions, the aforementioned advocate group voiced opposition. "Ken Paxton’s lawsuits represent an anti-democratic assault on the constitutional authority of Texas Home Rule cities to set local law enforcement priorities," Julie Oliver, executive director for Ground Game Texas, told KUT.
Despite the ongoing legal challenges, efforts to reform cannabis policies are forging ahead in other Texan cities, including Dallas, Lubbock, and Lockhart. Meanwhile, the ballot initiatives have chasm between state leadership and the voters' desires. Austin City Councilmember Chito Vela punctuated the debate with a social media post: "Not arresting people found with small amounts of marijuana has saved countless hours of law enforcement's time and lots of tax dollars. It's allowed police to focus on more serious offenses while they are short staffed. Decriminalizing marijuana is pro-public safety," as per KVUE.
