Texas AG Sues Dallas Over Ballot Measure Banning Police From Enforcing Marijuana Laws

Nearly 67 percent of Dallas voters approved the measure on Nov. 5, however it runs afoul of state law.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at a news conference on the U.S. Southern Border and President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, on May 12, 2021. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the City of Dallas on Thursday, challenging a ballot measure that prohibits local police from enforcing marijuana-related offenses in violation of state law.

Proposition R, approved by 66.82 percent of Dallas voters in the Nov. 5 special election, amends the city charter. The measure essentially decriminalizes marijuana, making it the lowest enforcement priority for the Dallas Police Department.