Let's Decriminalize Weed in Waco

Happy Monday, and welcome to the thirteenth edition of Waco Can’t Wait, a progressive newsletter focusing on McLennan County, Texas, and Federal politics. My law school quarter is coming to a close and finals are around the corner. While this month will be busy for me between school, campaigns and the Easter holiday, I will do my best to keep posting on a regular basis.

One of the reasons I started Waco Can’t Wait is because progressive change is not inevitable. All of the great leaders and social movements in history had to work incredibly hard to manually bend the arc of history towards a more just world.

That said, many find it difficult to imagine how large changes may be made in a political system that is defined by its refusal to budge. How much power do we really have when the final call is made by the septuagenarians in Congress.

It turns out, Wacoans actually have quite a bit of power to shape our destiny. Not only are there tons of policies that can be passed at the municipal level through our council members, citizens also have the ballot initiative as a tool. By collecting a specified amount of signatures, we can put questions of policy directly to the voters.

I believe we should use this process to decriminalize marijuana in Waco, and I believe we can be successful. But before we dive into such an ambitious endeavor, let’s take a look at the news!

Week in review (a collection of news from Waco, Texas, and beyond)

Waco:

A large group of people organized by the Waco Pride Network spoke in front of the Waco City Council this last Tuesday, arguing that the city of Waco should “recognize and include the LGBTQ community, especially transgender people, in discussions about Waco’s present and future.”

Jeffrey Vitarius, the communications chair for Waco Pride Network, made four requests of the council members:

1. A proclamation recognizing Pride Month;

2. A nondiscrimination ordinance;

3. Consideration of the local LGBTQ community in economic development strategy; and

4. Using their platforms to elevate the voices of LGBTQ residents.

Texas:

The State of Texas is attempting to use current redistricting litigation to further weaken the Voting Rights Act (VRA) protections. Section 2 of the VRA prohibits discriminatory voting procedures and practices that deny voters of color an equal opportunity to participate in elections. In Texas’ legal briefs provided to ...