DALLAS — This summer, Dallas’ city secretary will decide whether Ground Game Texas, an advocacy group, has collected a sufficient number of signatures to place marijuana decriminalization on the November ballot.
The group claims to have gathered over 50,000 signatures, with at least 21,000 verified. Only 20,000 signatures are required to mandate a referendum.
Their objective is to halt arrests and citations for individuals possessing four ounces or less of marijuana, an amount currently classified as a Class A misdemeanor.
City Councilmember Chad West noted that some leaders, including the District Attorney and the Chief of Police, are advocating for a reduced limit of two ounces or less.
However, the council deferred the discussion until August.
“I don’t know the temperature of council right now,” West confessed on Inside Texas Politics.
Should Dallas become the largest Texas city to decriminalize marijuana, West anticipates a lawsuit from Attorney General Ken Paxton to prevent the ordinance from taking effect, citing its contradiction to state law. Paxton has already sued Austin, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and San Marcos for similar reasons.
If the measure passes in Dallas, West believes it will signal to the state that the city desires marijuana law reform in Texas.
“There are proven studies that it’s a huge drain on our public safety resources, our time that our police spend having to process all of these claims. It’s something that could save the taxpayers money. And why would we not want to regulate it and tax it if we have that opportunity,” he argued.
In related news, the Dallas City Council recently postponed decisions on changes to the city’s charter, including council member pay raises, term lengths, and election timing.
West expressed disappointment at the lack of support for moving odd-year elections to November, a change that has significantly increased voter turnout in cities like Mesquite and Houston.
Regarding the proposed charter changes, West was unimpressed.
“I’m going to say collectively that this charter package that I have seen that’s actually risen up out of the straw votes is the most self-serving piece of legislation I’ve ever seen in my five years in office,” he said bluntly. “It’s a disappointment in what’s already risen up that it mostly benefits council members. And it benefits little things like how we run meetings. It doesn’t benefit the voters as a whole.”
In an effort to expedite the city’s permitting process, which has faced delays for years, Dallas plans to merge the two departments responsible for planning and permitting.
West praised the decision by interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert as “brilliant.”
He mentioned that developers support the change, as it will allow them to obtain necessary answers from a single source.
West also highlighted the importance of the permitting department, describing it as the gateway to the city’s property taxes, which fund services ranging from police and fire departments to parks, libraries, and street repairs. He emphasized that this move could also lead to new housing, which Dallas desperately needs.
“It’s got to be the most impactful department in the city,” West stated. “It should be the major leagues of the city of Dallas where everybody wants to work because it’s the best department.”
