A committee in the Texas State House of Representatives rejected three bills on Friday that would have reduced penalties for the marijuana possession in the state.
House Bills 325, 414, and 507 were voted down by the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. HB 507 had garnered the most legislative support, and its sponsor says that it has a chance of being revived.
The bill would make possession of under an ounce of cannabis a civil infraction, like a traffic ticket, rather than a class B misdemeanor, thus removing the threat of jail time and a criminal record. The bill failed 3-2 in committee.
Its sponsor, Joe Moody (D.-El Paso), said that its failure was likely due to the absence of certain committee members, including one of the bills 40 co-sponsors, Rep. Terry Canales (D.-Edinburg), as well as another potential supporter, Todd Hunter (R.-Corpus Christi). Rep. Canales was forced to miss the hearing because of a family emergency.
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Photo Credit: Kimberly Vardeman