San Antonio attaches abortion decriminalization to marijuana measure

The city of San Antonio, Texas, will include the decriminalization of abortion with a ballot initiative decriminalizing marijuana in an upcoming election.

Earlier this year, the move was criticized by Danny Diaz, president of the San Antonio Police Officers’ Association. “The decriminalization of marijana [sic] and abortion are handled at the state and federal level of government,” he said. “This action is added to this initiative to distract voters and add a layer of smoke and mirrors.”

20,973 people signed the petition allowing the so-called “San Antonio Justice Charter” to move forward, slightly over the 20,000 needed to make it onto a ballot. City Attorney Andy Segovia additionally echoed Diaz’s comments that the charter is essentially meaningless.

“So to emphasize, the petition — even if adopted by the voters — will not legalize marijuana. It will not legalize abortion,” he said during a press conference. “It will not create a complete ban on choke holds. It will not change the established process and procedures under state law for obtaining warrants. And it will not remove the discretion that San Antonio policemen have to either cite or arrest somebody for all these crimes. I don’t think reasonable minds can differ that these things are absolutely inconsistent with state law.”

Under the resolution, the San Antonio Police Department will not be able to arrest or surveil abortionists or women seeking abortions, and no city staff, funds, or resources will be used to enforce pro-life laws.

In August of 2022, the San Antonio City Council approved a resolution that, while neither legalizing nor decriminalizing abortion, recommended against spending city money “to catalog, collect or share with other government agencies information on instances of abortion strictly to pursue criminal investigations.”

The San Antonio Police Officers’ Association (SAPOA) has released a statement condemning the initiative. “The safety of our City and citizens is our top priority,” the statement read. “SAPOA wants voters to stay informed and ask questions before they vote. As they say, some things are too good to be true and could cause even more harm to our City and the officers who have sworn to protect it.”

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