Hays County legislators met with their constituents in Dripping Springs last night for a town hall that touched on issues such as marijuana, bathroom polices and annexation reform.
Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels) and Rep. Jason Isaac (R-Dripping Springs) hosted the town hall together to share their plans and hopes ahead of the upcoming 2017 Texas legislative session.
Isaac said he’s invested in an issue that he admits is still unpopular with many Republicans who elected him: decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
“When I explain it to people, the feedback is overwhelmingly in support of the idea,” Isaac said.
He supports HB 81, filed by State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, that would replace possible arrest and jail time for possession of up to an ounce of marijuana with a fine.
“We want them to be able to get jobs. We want them to be economic contributors to the state of Texas. This would help do that.”
—State Rep. Jason Isaac (R-Dripping Springs), on the effect decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana could have on those who would otherwise face arrest or possible jail time
He used an example of college students who “make a mistake” and are caught in possession of small amounts.
“When they go to get a job when they graduate college, guess what comes up on their criminal background check and guess who doesn’t get hired?” Isaac said. “People that you and I have invested in, [in] their educations, so that they can meet our workforce needs.”
Marijuana possession and consumption would still be against the law, but if passed, HB 81 would lower the offense to a Class C misdemeanor, “like a parking ticket,” Isaac said.
“It’s an economic development issue to me,” he said. “We want them to be able to get jobs. We want them to be economic contributors to the state of Texas. This would help do that.”
Campbell said she plans to file legislation to bring about annexation reform that would protect private property owners from forced annexation by big cities. Annexation shouldn’t be a one-sided revenue grab, she said.
“This simply is something that big cities use to add to their tax base and to continue with their unsustainable spending and their borrowing,” Campbell said. “ I believe annexation should be a collaborative process where all the stakeholders are brought together and every citizen has a voice in that. The way it is right now, in the big city, if the city wants to annex, they do. It’s very difficult for people to have a voice in that.”
Campbell also hopes to “protect the privacy and dignity of women in the bathroom,” by passing legislation to regulate transgendered people’s access to public facilities, based on the sex they were assigned at birth.
“Public school bathrooms and locker rooms truly should be safe spaces, not social experiments that leave children vulnerable to members of the opposite sex, without dignity or privacy,” she said.
Campbell said private businesses, churches and nonprofits should be able to set their own bathroom and locker room policies. In the event that they would “choose to allow men into women’s bathrooms,” she said the policy should be posted clearly so that the public is aware.
“Private businesses should not be forced to make private spaces for women open to men through progressive city ordinances,” Campbell said. “As a state, we can restrict those ordinances.”
During the next legislative session, Campbell also aims to increase the transparency and accountability of local government. The CLEAR initiative, consisting of four bills, would give constituents more resources to hold their elected officials accountable and to participate in local government, she said.
The bills would require “clear and concise” language and specific information to appear on the ballot of bond propositions and create an online database where voters could search for information regarding political boundaries, tax rates and debt obligations, among other measures.
The 85th Texas Legislature will convene Jan. 10.
