NEWS: Congressman Greg Casar Reacts to Ken Paxton’s Lawsuit Against Local Marijuana Decriminalization
Austin Chronicle: Greg Casar Called for Austin to Reach Zero Possession of Marijuana Arrests, Recent Data Shows Just That
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas) released the following statement in response to indicted-Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against the cities of Austin, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin, and Denton for adopting legislation to end marijuana arrests in their communities.
“Local resources should go to keeping people safe, not chasing people down for low level pot offenses. Our local policies are perfectly legal: we stopped wasting taxpayer dollars to test alleged marijuana for its THC content,” said Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas). “Our communities have made it clear: they support smart policies that promote justice — something Ken Paxton would know little about. What was Ken Paxton smoking when he filed this lawsuit?”
In 2020, Casarauthored the first ordinance in Texas that ended enforcement of low-level marijuana possession violations while on the Austin City Council, and supported the efforts for decriminalization in other Texas cities.
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Congressman Greg Casar represents Texas’s 35th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, which runs down I-35 from East Austin to Hays County to the West Side of San Antonio. A labor organizer and son of Mexican immigrants, Casar serves as the Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus for the 118th Congress. He also serves on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the Committee on Agriculture.