Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched lawsuits against the cities of Austin, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin, and Denton for adopting amnesty and non-prosecution policies for marijuana that he says “violate Texas laws concerning marijuana possession and distribution.”
The five municipalities have adopted ordinances or policies instructing police not to enforce Texas drug laws concerning possession of marijuana, which Paxton in a press release calls “an illicit substance that psychologists have increasingly linked to psychosis and other negative consequences.”
“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,” said Attorney General Paxton. “This unconstitutional action by municipalities demonstrates why Texas must have a law to ‘follow the law.’ It’s quite simple: the legislature passes every law after a full debate on the issues, and we don’t allow cities the ability to create anarchy by picking and choosing the laws they enforce.”
In November, 2022 five cities voted to pass ordinances establishing marijuana as the lowest enforcement priority, with support between 60% and 82%. Three of these cities are included in Paxton’s lawsuit.
You can read the filings by clicking here.
