Update:
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says HB63 which would reduce the criminal penalty for the possession of an ounce or less of marijuana to a Class C Misdemeanor, is dead in the Texas Senate.
Criminal Justice Chair @Whitmire_John is right that #HB 63 is dead in the @Texas Senate. I join with those House Republicans who oppose this step toward legalization of marijuana.
— Dan Patrick (@DanPatrick) April 30, 2019
Original:
The Texas House passed legislation reducing the criminal penalty .
State Representative Joe Moody’s bill would make it a Class C Misdemeanor…equivalent to a traffic violation.
“This bill is simply saying, we’re not going to lock up 75,000 Texans a year for this low level offence and we’re not going to spend three-quarters of a billion dollars every year at the local tax payer level in enforcing these offenses,” said Moody.
Moody’s original bill called for the decriminalization the possession of a small amount of marijuana. He amended it after meeting with Governor Abbott.
The bill now heads to the senate where it could find even more of a fight, before heading to the governors desk.
(Photo:Shutterstock/Jiri Hera)
