Houston will let voters decide this November on whether or not the city should ban no-knock warrants and deprioritize the enforcement of low-level marijuana offenses.
What happened
Houston City Council passed an ordinance Aug. 12 to add an item to the Nov. 3 ballot that could amend the city’s charter to deprioritize misdemeanors related to marijuana possession. The city’s current code states that convictions could be a fine up to $2,000 per package.
The petition requests that the city designate misdemeanor marijuana possession to its lowest possible enforcement priority. The petition also suggests that the city update its budget, police department manual and policies and procedures to ensure that public safety resources are not used on misdemeanor marijuana enforcement.
The other part of the ordinance will allow voters to decide whether or not to ban no-knock warrants, which allow officers to enter without knocking or announcing their presence.
The city’s charter does not currently have an ordinance banning or using the practice; however, a 2020 executive order prohibited police from executing a no-knock warrant unless it is approved by the Houston Police Department chief of police and has been approved by a district court judge.
The details
Ground Game Texas submitted the petition to change the city charter, which contained around 40,000 signatures calling for the amendments. Ground Game Texas is a social justice organization that campaigns for progressive issues in Texas, including in Houston and Brownsville.
According to the City Council ordinance, the Texas Local Government Code requires 20,000 qualified signatures on a petition to call an election to amend a city charter.
Officials checked 22,178 signatures and found that a sufficient number were valid, without needing to review the entire set.
One more thing
The midterm elections will be held Nov. 3, and these proposed items will be presented on the ballot for residents who live within city limits to vote on.
