Voters in five Texas cities Tuesday said yes to decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, possession of four ounces or less, but that doesn't mean it will happen, at least not in Killeen, where voters said yes to proposition A by 69%.
City councilman and former mayor Jose Segarra is wary. He says after the votes are canvassed, it goes to the seven member city council. "They can either accept it or they can just say no and not accept it because it contradicts state and federal laws, or they can change it. They could decide this is what the citizens want but we're going to make some changes to it."
Part of his hesitation lies in what he says is contradicting the police. "They swore an oath to the state and not just to the city that they would abide by the laws of the state."
He says he doesn't have a problem with the marijuana itself. He doesn't like the fact that the measure would prohibit police from searching a vehicle if they smell the substance. He says police have told him they have caught felons by following their noses and searching vehicles, including 200 people who were carrying weapons illegally. "The majority of the people they arrest have something that goes beyond marijuana."
Segarra believes there is pressure on state representatives to decriminalize marijuana statewide.
The other cities that voted for decriminalization were Harker Heights, Denton, Elgin and San Marcos. Last year, the Austin City Council passed a resolution to stop arresting or ticketing people for possessing small amounts of marijuana.
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