LOCKHART, Texas — In a 6-1 vote Tuesday night, the Lockhart City Council agreed to put a proposition on the November ballot that would decriminalize possession of low levels of marijuana.
Hundreds of signatures were collected from registered voters. At the recent city council meeting, the community and city leaders were divided on the language of the proposition.
The city council considered putting the measure on the ballot as a single proposition or breaking it up into 13 separate propositions, which advocates said isn't what they expected. Altogether, the proposal was five pages long.
Advocates with the two leading organizations, Mano Amiga Responsible Implementation and Ground Game Texas, were worried these propositions would create voter confusion since it was hard for people to understand the full picture.
Several people took to the podium asking for "simpler language," so voters could make decisions for themselves.
"It's disrespectful to the voters, and also because it's illegal. The city council actually doesn't have the discretion to change the policy that the voters have put forward. So we're asking them to follow the law, save city resources and do what's right," Ground Game Texas general counsel Mike Siegel said.
One community member named Roberta opposed the proposition as a whole.
"I feel that decriminalizing would only increase other problems. I feel that once you start a little bit of a substance that alters your mind or your emotion, then you need a little bit more and a little bit more," Roberta said.
During the meeting, Lockhart City Attorney Brad Bullock said he was not trying to sabotage the community's efforts but was concerned some of the "simpler" language didn't capture the essence of what was being proposed.
Some said the city council is not legally permitted to make such changes to a proposition. Bullock reworked the proposition into a shorter, condensed version so that it would still meet the legal standard.
The community will be able to vote for the final decision come November.