Voter registration effort aimed at TXST students ahead of marijuana proposition vote

Proponents of San Marcos’ Proposition A, which would eliminate marijuana possession enforcement of up to 4 ounces, are making an effort to register Texas State University students ahead of the November election.

Elle Cross, Mano Amiga’s Right to Justice coordinator, said the local nonprofit and its student chapter have registered 400 students to vote since the beginning of the fall semester, and a total of 900 students since May, ahead of the Prop A vote.

“So, now we’ve been really active on campus registering students to vote,” Cross told the Daily Record. “We’re seeing that so many students who otherwise probably would have no interest in voting are really excited about [voting for Prop A]... [They’re], for the first time, getting registered to vote and committing to showing up at the polls.”

Mano Amiga and Ground Game Texas hosted a press conference on campus Monday to highlight their efforts to get students involved in the upcoming election.

“Our goal, this November, is not just to win,” Ground Game Texas Political Director Mike Siegel said Monday. “We’re not shooting for 51% yes on this measure. We’re shooting for a dominant, overwhelming victory. Austin passed a similar reform that also banned no-knock warrants by 85%. Do y’all think San Marcos could do better than 85%? I mean, that’s the goal here — To send a message that not only is this popular with the majority but with a super- majority of voters.”

Proposition A made its way onto the ballot after a coalition consisting of Mano Amiga, Ground Game Texas San Marcos Democratic Socialists of America, the Hays County Libertarian Party, the Hays County Democratic Party, and the Texas Cannabis Collective gathered more than 10,000 signatures on a petition.

On July 16, the petition’s certification was invalid, however, it became valid after a recount was conducted. According to a memo sent from Interim City Clerk Elizabeth Trevino to Mayor Jane Hughson and the city council, of the 10,624 signatures, 4,667 signatures were verified and 5,957 were invalid.

The San Marcos City Council received the certified petition during its Aug. 2 regular meeting, where it voted to add the ordinance included in the petition as a proposition on the ballot for the Nov. 8 election.

The ordinance proposed would end citations and arrests by the San Marcos Police Department for misdemeanor possession of marijuana up to 4 ounces. San Marcos police, however, could cite an individual or make an arrest for Class A or Class B misdemeanor possession of marijuana if it’s a part of an investigation involving a felony-level narcotics case or the investigation of a violent felony.

Additionally, if the ordinance is passed, citations for possession of drug residue or drug paraphernalia should not be issued, a prohibition against city funds or personnel to conduct THC concentration testing would be established, and there would also be a prohibition against city police using the odor of marijuana or hemp as a probable cause for search or seizure.

The ordinance would only be applicable to the San Marcos Police Department. The ordinance, if passed, would not bind Texas State University police, Hays County Sheriff’s Office or Texas Department of Public Safety to decriminalize up to 4 ounces of marijuana in San Marcos.

Concerns arose during the Aug. 2 city council meeting regarding the amount of marijuana included in the ordinance with some members suggesting that limiting it to 2 ounces would be more desirable to some voters. The suggestion, ultimately, didn’t garner enough support to move forward.

Mano Amiga Communications Director Sam Benavides said the petition language is based on what the state considers a low-level amount of marijuana.

“I would say that this is what the state has already considered a low level amount and citation eligible,” Benavides said. “So we’re just going based off what the Republican dominated state legislature passed into law in 2007.”

Above, members of Mano Amiga register Texas State University students ahead of the Nov. 8 election where San Marcos voters will consider the elimination of low-level marijuana possession enforcement.

Several candidates up for election in November spoke during Monday’s press conference, voicing their support for the marijuana decriminalization ordinance.

“I will not be filing possession of marijuana cases at the misdemeanor level at all in Hays County, once elected,” said Kelly Higgins, Democratic candidate for Hays County District Attorney. “We’ll be looking at felony cases much more closely but I don’t really expect to be filing any simple possession cases for even above 4 ounces. Unless we catch a truckload moving through from a cartel, we’d like to get at those guys.”

Added San Marcos City Councilmember Maxfield Baker, who’s running for reelection for Place 1, “When I ran for election in 2019, it was to help push for the Cite and Release ordinance to be passed. And now, once again, I have the opportunity to get reelected and to continue to be a champion of these important criminal, legal reforms. We know that San Marcos residents face an undue burden when it comes to how this policy has been enforced against communities of color. It’s important that we take progressive steps like these to make sure our residents are well protected and that they’re well represented up on that dais.”

Although Mano Amiga and Ground Game Texas are making efforts to involve students in the vote for Prop A, Cross said the measure would likely pass without the student vote.

“We expect that there’s going to be a really good turnout,” Cross said. “... I honestly think that this would pass even without any student votes because just from conversations that we’ve had, we’ve seen so many people are so ready for this to happen. They have been since the 90s. It’s super popular all across San Marcos. But, historically, students are really underrepresented at the polls and I think that is going to flip that statistic and definitely have a significant impact on turnout.” ncastillo @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @Nick_Castillo74