AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Austin voters overwhelmingly approved a citizen-led ballot initiative that will end enforcement of low-level marijuana offenses in the city, along with banning the use of no-knock warrants by the Austin Police Department.
With final, unofficial vote tallies counted, more than 85% of ballots cast were in favor of Austin's Proposition A, the so-called "Austin Freedom Act of 2021."
In total, more than 38,000 ballots were cast on the measure during early voting in Travis County alone.
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The initiative aims to codify a policy put into place by the Austin City Council during 2020. Then, police chief Brian Manley said the department would no longer arrest or cite individuals for misdemeanor marijuana offenses.
Police will still be able to make arrests or citations if the charge is part of an investigation into a high-priority narcotics case, or into a violent felony. Otherwise, officers will be limited to seizing the drugs.
The prohibition on no-knock warrants will require officers to announce their presence and wait at least 15 seconds before entering a residence with a signed warrant.
Ground Game Texas spearheaded the effort to put the measure on the ballot, which gathered more than 34,000 petition signatures.