Bastrop voters to decide on marijuana decriminalization measure

BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — Bastrop voters will decide in November whether to approve a measure that changes how misdemeanor marijuana possession offenses are enforced in the city.

A petition was certified July 23 to put a marijuana decriminalization charter amendment on the Nov. 5 ballot, according to the city.

The petition had 438 verified signatures of the 613 signatures on the petition, according to the city. This met the minimum requirement for a special election to be called for the measure.

Bastrop City Council members have until Aug. 19 to order the special election for the petition measure.

Desiree Venable led the petition efforts and is the Democratic candidate in the Texas House District 17 race. She will face incumbent Rep. Stan Gerdes, a Republican, in the November election.

In a statement, Venable said the campaign "exemplifies true democracy and the power we have as community members to effect change that directly reflects our wants and needs."

"The criminalization of marijuana undermines our individual freedoms and limits career opportunities," a statement from Venable said in part. "The decriminalization of marijuana is a crucial step toward the criminal justice reform we desperately need and I’m happy to be part of this progress.”

Bastrop Police Chief Vicky Steffanic said her department supports the democratic process, but these petition efforts are "misplaced and misleading." She said the ballot measure, if approved by voters, would restrict officers from potentially issuing a citation for the offense. 

Steffanic added that it limits officers' options in making an arrest and "on the back end requires more resources and time from our department."

"So, it really is not decriminalization, is it puts our officers in a situation where they do not have the discretion to cite and release," the statement read in part.

Similar efforts in Central Texas

Lockhart voters will also vote in November on a marijuana decriminalization measure, which as also sparked by a petition, nonprofit advocacy group Ground Game Texas said Monday.

Voters in Austin, Elgin and San Marcos approved similar measures in 2022.