'Justice charter' initiative: 20K signatures sought for 2023 ballot San Antonio, TX (Wednesday, February 8, 2023) - On Wednesday, February 8, the San Antonio City Clerk officially certified the San Antonio Justice Chartera comprehensive justice policy initiative led by Ground Game Texas, Act 4 SA, and a coalition of more than a dozen organizationsfor placement on the May citywide ballot. [from San Antonio Current], San Antonio, TX (Friday, January 6, 2023) On Tuesday, January 10th at 3 PM, Ground Game Texas, Act 4 SA, and a coalition of, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Opponents file frivolous challenge to SA Justice Charter, Complaint filed against the San Antonio Police Officers Association (SAPOA) for violating Texas Ethics Commission rule, BREAKING: San Antonio Justice Charter initiative officially for placement on May ballot, Texas Activists Submit Signatures To Put Marijuana Decriminalization, Police Reform And Abortion Rights On San Antonio Ballot Marijuana Moment Marijuana Moment, San Antonio activists collect 37,000 signatures in bid to put marijuana, abortion decriminalization before voters kens5.com, Coalition submits 35,000 signatures aimed at sweeping changes to city charter amendment KSAT, San Antonio Justice Charter headed to likely vote after activists get more than 38,000 signatures San Antonio Current, San Antonio could vote to decriminalize abortion, marijuana in 2023 kens5.com, Group petitioning to let San Antonio voters decide to decriminalize weed nearing 30,000 signatures San Antonio Current, TUESDAY: San Antonio Justice Charter Coalition Submits 35,000 Signatures for May Ballot. When the bill took effect in 2021, it was the most restrictive abortion law in the nation. We can readily do so in this instance through a post-election challenge, the opinion said. Early voting is now underway in Bexar County. The Justice Charter will appear as Proposition A on the May 6 city election ballot. Justice Policy - SAN ANTONIO FAMILY ASSOCIATION Turn Right onto Marshall St. San Antonio Justice Charter 0 59235.53 0 0 50000.00 0 * * * Electronically Certified * * * Catina Voellinger 5th April 23. An impact report needs to be made to make sure that we are staying on track as a city., In a statement released Tuesday, San Antonio Police Officers Association President Danny Diaz said the proposed charter amendments would hinder the progress being made to ensure that effective policing is in place.. All rights reserved. Im super excited and relieved, said Ananda Tomas, executive director of Act 4 SA, a police reform groupand the main proponent of the Justice Charter amendment. Ananda Tomas, Act 4 SA executive director, listens to a speaker during a campaign launch party for the San Antonio Justice Charter in San Antonio, Texas, Thursday, March 16, 2023. San Antonio man sucked into plane engine suffered from mental health problems, his brother says, Drunk drivers in Texas who kill parents of a child will now be required to pay child support, Texas Legislature's special session ends without deal on property taxes, Report: Abortion may be illegal in Texas, but plenty of women are still getting them out of state, San Antonio's H-E-B among the top donors to Gov. Republicans gear up to fight proposed Justice Charter - San Antonio Report In one adthat the San Antonio Police Officers' Association's political action committee paid to splash across local televisions this spring, looters dart between street fires, masked gangs smash jewelry counters with hammers, red graffiti covers what appears to be a church, and men carrying bats gather in a dark street. They are: Class C misdemeanors OTHER THAN public intoxication, assault, or family violence. CITY OF SAN ANTONIO - CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE . Authorities said Patrick Proefriedt got into an argument with his wife as she was holding their baby at a home in Colesville early Monday morning. KTPR 89.9 - Stanton, TX and KVHL 91.7 - Llano, TX are currently off air. Lead other Texas cities by showing them what is possible. This is not a decision that can be implemented at a local level. Thats the beauty of this direct democracy tactic the initiative tactic where we can take something thats popular with the people and the people can legislate directly.. Moreover, Proposition A will protect against racial inequality and injustice by decriminalizing marijuana, which has disproportionately affected Black and Hispanic community members. Supporters of Justice Charter Petition filed amicus brief. Because only seven of the 10 council members voted on Feb. 16 to order a charter election, Texas Alliance for Life argued, they didnt get the eight yes votes needed for the ordinance to take effect immediately, as required by the city charter. Caption "A petition to amend the City Charter of San Antonio to adopt a justice policy that will reduce unnecessary arrests and save scarce public resources through a comprehensive set of reforms, including: ending enforcement of low-level marijuana possession; ending enforcement of abortion crimes; banning no-knock warrants; banning chokeholds; and using citations instead of arrests for low . Signed Justice Initiative petitions await to be x-rayed at the security check point at San Antonio City Hall on Monday afternoon. Chief Justice Nathan Hecht and Justices Debra Lehrmann, Jeff Boyd, Brett Busby and Rebeca Aizpuru Huddle joined Bland in the majority. FAQ - San Antonio Justice Charter 2023 Nonprofit journalism for an informed community. Paxton was the first to file an amicus brief urging the Republican-controlled Texas Supreme Court to block the charter amendment from getting on the ballot. Why is it important to ban no-knock warrants and chokeholds? High school rocketry class's weekend launch at White Sands was successful, but held to tradition: Its parachute didn't deploy. What this policy does is lay out, essentially, how search warrants should be executed., No police officers may gain forcible entry into a premises, absent circumstancesin which there is verified, imminent threat to human life, the proposal reads. One of the main reforms SAPOA would like to address is the creation of a. position. Credit: Brenda Bazn / San Antonio Report. "Prop A effectively removes officer discretion," he said. Proposition A will make San Antonio safer by protecting individual rights, reducing the use of dangerous tactics that threaten lives, and redirecting resources toward real public safety solutions. Now, their petition has secured enough signatures to potentially make it on the ballot in the May 2023 election. People protest outside of the campaign launch party for the San Antonio Justice Charter in San Antonio, Texas, Thursday, March 16, 2023. Organizers inaugurate bid to amend city charter, decriminalize abortion and ban chokeholds. The charter amendment will adopt a comprehensive justice policy, with specific elements including: In past years, San Antonio police issued thousands of citations and made hundreds of arrests for simple marijuana possession. It doesnt actually guarantee the level of safety that the community wants., The proposed charter change would also end enforcement of low-level marijuana possession, except in a few limited situations. In addition, the use of chokeholds and no-knock search warrants have already been prohibited in San Antonio, except in life or death situations. Divert Public Safety Funding to private and non-profit organizations, thereby defunds public (safety) services. From the South. The San Antonio Reports 2022 Voter Guide, How do they do it? Will Prop A cause an increase in petty theft and crime, as opponents of the amendment have suggested? Visit the Bexar County Elections website for more information as its updated! None of the Courts stated reasons apply here because they all depend on the same mistaken premise: the existence of a lawfully ordered special election, Youngs opinion reads. Charter aims to codify justice reforms - The Paisano Since then, efforts have been made to ensure that effective policing is in place despite the officer shortage our city is facing. San Antonio Justice Charter PRESENTED BY CITY ATTORNEY, ANDY SEGOVIA. For one thing, she said it was much easier to get signatures in late 2020 to get Prop B on the following years municipal ballot because of the energy around the 2020 election and the 2021 mayoral race. The San Antonio Police Officers Association (SAPOA), the local police union, has come out against the city charter initiative because they say it would hinder effective policies. By, come out against the city charter initiative, Gov. As of August, it is a felony to perform an abortion unless the pregnant patients life is at risk. By When they door-knocked for Prop B, they could decide to only go to neighborhoods inside Bexar County. The San Antonio City Council voted to place the San Antonio Justice Charter on the May 6 municipal ballot on Thursday, fulfilling a state legal obligation following the city clerk's verification of over 20,000 signatures in favor of the petition. Taking discretionary measures away from our officers is not reform, its reckless. Vote YES on Proposition A on May 6th to help create a more just and equitable San Antonio. Michael Karlis is a Staff Writer at the San Antonio Current. Ananda Tomas, Act 4 SA executive director, addresses the crowd during a campaign launch party for the San Antonio Justice Charter in San Antonio, Texas, Thursday, March 16, 2023. San Antonio Justice Charter | PDF | Search Warrant | Arrest - Scribd Tomas also said now that organizers have been getting signatures at events, theyre running into a lot more people who are not Bexar County voters. Now, their petition has secured enough signatures to potentially make it on the ballot in the May 2023 election. New: Traffic case payments are now accepted at the Criminal Clerk's Office on the 4th Floor, 400 County Center, Hall of Justice, Redwood City too. It seeks to advance the cause of justice by protecting individual rights and reducing the use of dangerous tactics that threaten . Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. It would also expand the citys cite-and-release program, ban police from using chokeholds and no-knock warrants, and create a city justice director to oversee these policy changes. Section 180 (b) Create Crime Districts in SA City limits and a new city position for a "Justice Director" czar. Overall, the cite and release program is a proven and effective tool for promoting public safety while reducing the burden on taxpayers and law enforcement in San Antonio. A mystery solved. Supporters of San Antonio Justice Charter accuse city attorney Andy As the battle over Prop A heats up, here's a look at the groups trying to sway voters. Step 2. The San Antonio Police Officers' Association (SAPOA) recently came out against the initiative in a statement from its president, Danny Diaz, and the Justice Charter's lead organizer, ACT 4 SA executive director Ananda Tomas, responded. Ananda Tomas, the executive director of ACT4SA, which is leading the charter initiative, said she is fully confident they will have the signatures they need by the end of the weekend. This language is similar to Austins marijuana decriminalization, which was approved by 85% of that citys voters earlier this year. Conversations around the initiative started late last year as local activists grew frustrated with the slow-moving wheels of reform at city hall about expanding and codifying the cite-and-release policy. New charter initiative would decriminalize abortion care and marijuana possession, ban no-knock police warrants and chokeholds, and encourage citations instead of arrests for nonviolent crimes. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 1939 NE Loop 410, Suite 300 Please help us reach our goal by signing the petition and spreading the word! Since its implementation, the program has saved taxpayers over $4 million, which can be redirected towards real public safety solutions like addressing violent crime, promoting mental health and addiction treatment, creating resources for our most impoverished neighbors, and ensuring that our communities are safe and secure for everyone.In addition to the significant cost savings, the cite and release program has also saved officers an additional 4,000 hours in 2022. This ordinance would prevent City police from criminalizing reproductive decisions, while also protecting the privacy of people seeking reproductive care. Get people excited to vote in local elections. The Justice Charter will appear as Proposition A on the May 6 city election ballot. We knew the whole time going into this that we were justified and valid in being able to put this up as a single proposition.. The initiative in Austin, also organized by Ground Game Texas, included a ban on no-knock warrants when search and arrest warrants are executed without police officers announcing their presence. There is no quick solution. April 12, 2023 6 Texas Monthly; Getty The May election in San Antonio would have been quietthere are no major challenges to Mayor Ron Nirenberg at the top of the ticketif it weren't for. In San Antonio, no-knock search and arrest warrants and chokeholds are already banned by department policy with exemptions. Tomas led the charge in collecting 20,000-voter signatures which allowed the Justice Charter, also known as Proposition A, to appear on the May 6 city election ballot. The safety of our City and citizens is our top priority. How will Proposition A protect individual rights in San Antonio? Voting Information - San Antonio Justice Charter It also directs the San Antonio police to stop issuing citations or making arrests for Class A or Class B misdemeanor marijuana possession. The SA Justice Charter initiative is proposing several reforms that will only hinder the effective policing in place today. Save scarce public resources for greater needs. In total we are about to hit 34,000 and verified there are almost 20,000, she said. Supporters carry boxes of signed petitions in favor of the Justice Initiative into San Antonio City Hall. As such, Proposition A will not lead to an increase in petty theft and crime, but rather help promote equitable and just practices in our community. How to Take Care of Your Traffic Ticket . The Court highlighted the importance of letting voters speak but also pointed out that legal challenges are still available post-election., Even before the courts ruling, Texas Alliance for Life pledged to fight the charter amendment at the ballot box. [from kens5.com], A coalition of more than a dozen organizations delivered more than 35,000 signatures to the city clerks office in hopes of making sweeping changes to, If passed by voters, cannabis possession and abortion would both be decriminalized in San Antonio. One of the main reforms SAPOA would like to address is the creation of a City Justice Director position. San Antonio, Austin and Waco - all in Texas - already passed resolutions to de-prioritize the investigation of abortion crimes through their city councils in 2022, at the same time as a string. The upcoming city election will be the first time Texas voters will be asked to safeguard abortion providers since the states near-total ban on the procedure took effect. A teary-eyed Ananda Tomas, executive director of Act 4 SA, thanks supporters before heading into City Hall to drop off 38,200 signed petitions. What citizens dont know is that Act 4 SA has a much greater agenda than just decriminalizing marijuana. Our goal is to ensure voters have the FACTS to make an informed decision on what exactly they are signing up for. By reducing the disproportionate targeting of these groups, Proposition A will promote equity and justice in San Antonio. San Antonio Republicans are laying plans to organize voters in opposition to a proposed City Charter amendment that seeks to ban police from using no-knock warrants and chokeholds, as well as expand the city's cite-and-release policy for low-level, nonviolent crimes. The Texas Supreme Court declined to weigh in on the merits of Texas Alliance for Lifes argument that the proposition violates the Texas Local Government Codes prohibition on multiple-subject charter amendments. The court also didn't directly address the groups claim that City Council did not properly call for the May 6 election due to the abstention of three council members. We re not surprised by the Courts ruling to allow the May election on the proposed Justice Policy to go forward, hesaid in a written statement. If approved, the Justice Charter, which will appear on the ballot as Proposition A, would amend the city charter to bar police from investigating or making arrests for abortion-related crimes and misdemeanor marijuana possession. Segovia, the city attorney,disagreed with the group's claim, saying the part of the charter it cited does not apply to election ordinances. Sign the statement of circulator at the bottom with your name and date Step 4. We werent in a lockdown in a pandemic, but it turned out to be more difficult because of that.. [from kens5.com], The petition would also let voters decide whether to decriminalize abortion, ban police chokeholds and prohibit no-knock warrants. This program hassaved Bexar County $4 million in booking costs alone in 3 years. on This is when police obtain a warrant to break into someones home without identifying themselves beforehand. READ MORE: Why anti-abortion opponents could sink San Antonios police reform amendment. Texas Supreme Court rejects San Antonio Justice Charter challenge I dont foresee [the Justice Charter] getting close to the million-dollar mark, Tomas said. San Antonio Justice Charter headed to May ballot, faces battle from What citizens dont know is that Act 4 SA has a much greater agenda than just decriminalizing marijuana. Our goal is to ensure voters have the. Well send you a handful of interesting San Antonio stories every morning. The charter initiative would decriminalize abortion and low-level marijuana possession, ban no-knock warrants and chokeholds by San Antonio Police Department, expand cite-and-release for nonviolent misdemeanors, and establish a city Justice Director to oversee city criminal justice policy. Yes. Want to help us adopt a justice policy that will reduce unnecessary arrests, create safer policing practices, and save scarce public resources. Prop A 'Justice Charter' defeated in landslide in San Antonio's 2023 San Antonio Police Officers' Association. The organization also accused City Council of failing to call for the election in time. Your donations go directly towards a safer San Antonio. to make an informed decision on what exactly they are signing up for. Our role is to facilitate elections, not to stymie them, and to review the consequences of those elections as the Legislature prescribes.