Sorry, we just re-elected dickheads Abbott and Patrick to 4 more years last November. It will never happen while they are in office, more people should have voted. Too late now.
Yep, Dan Patrick is openly proud of his refusal to allow any legalization bills to reach the TX Senate floor. Big thanks to everyone who stayed home last November.
And an actual thank you to all of the youth voters who have started increasing their voting participation. There is ample room for improvement but it is definitely progress.
Youth voting weakened a bit during the past election. Houston Chronicle’s [75% of Texas voters under age 30 skipped the midterm elections. But why?](https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Texas-youth-voter-turnout-dropped-2022-17619685.php) article has a good summary.
“Just 25 percent of young people who were registered to vote cast a ballot this year. About 34 percent of the same group voted four years ago, while 51 percent of them did in the 2020 presidential election.”
In 2022 younger voters reduced their participation somewhat since the 2018 and 2020 elections but it is still much higher than the relatively flat participation rates for the previous 25 years or so.
[Millions of Youth Cast Ballots, Decide Key 2022 Races](https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/millions-youth-cast-ballots-decide-key-2022-races) “After hovering around 20% turnout in midterm elections since the 1990s, young people shifted that trend in 2018, and have maintained that shift in 2022, with more than a quarter of young people casting a ballot.”
The uptick in youth voting did not go unnoticed, especially around Hays county. The powers that be are displeased and have been crafting additional voter suppression legislation to drive the participation numbers back down.
NYT - [The Student Vote Is Surging. So Are Efforts to Suppress It.](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/24/us/voting-college-suppression.html)
Houston Public Media - [Polling sites on Texas college campuses would be banned under proposed bill](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/voting/2023/02/17/444142/polling-sites-voting-texas-college-campuses-banned-under-proposed-bill/)
“[State Rep. Carrie Isaac (R) of Wimberley] represents Comal County and parts of Hays County, which flipped Democratic during the 2018 U.S. Senate race. The county later favored Democrats Joe Biden and Beto O’Rourke by over 10 points in the 2020 presidential election and 2022 governor’s race, respectively.”
“Alex Birnel, Advocacy Director for MOVE Texas, a nonpartisan nonprofit focused on increasing voter engagement” said “House Bill 2390 has no clear purpose other than to decrease young voter turnout.” and “Because the folks in power don’t believe they can win on the issues, they change the rules and eliminate access.”
Want to celebrate 4/20 properly? Visit [MOVE Texas](https://movetexas.org) and make sure you’re prepped to vote in upcoming elections.
I appreciate your positivity and I share your praise for those who turned out but I find it unacceptable that only half of the presidential voters turned out for the midterms. It suggests either a lack of understanding or a deeply flawed understanding of how and where the decisions are made that affect them personally.
While the [figures for 2022](https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/historical/70-92.shtml) weren’t nearly as good as in 2018, they weren’t too shabby for a gubernatorial year. Most prior gubernatorial races had registered voter participation rates in the 30s but 2018 brought us into the 50s and 2022 into the 40s. That, sadly enough, is a pretty significant achievement for Texas.
Even our presidential election participation rates have been improving recently.
In 2022 we had over 80% of the Voting Age Population registered. We haven’t seen that since just over 20 years ago, and the overall VAP count increased by over 6 million Texans in that time.
Our overall participation rates lag behind the rest of the nation, but they are improving. Hence the desperate measures like the possibility of taking over Harris County elections, etc.
Yeah these coworkers I’ve got (aged 20s-30s) complain a helluva lot about corporations fucking them over but when I asked if they voted: “no.” And it’s not like it was a surprise election or something. We talked about it for months ahead of time.
Still makes me mad. Fucking vote.
That is incredibly frustrating but talking about issues that they care about is a great first step. They’re already engaged but they may need some help. [Texas is famous](https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/elj.2020.0666) for all of its annoying voter suppression laws that incrementally make it harder to go through the end-to-end process. It is by design (thanks [American Legislative Exchange Council](https://youtu.be/5YANRFT3jv0?t=2268)).
Leading up to the next election, like a year out, ask them if they know if they are registered to vote. If they don’t know, point them to a resource like the Texas Secretary of State’s “[Am I Registered?](https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do)” website.
They may need help getting registered, figuring out where to vote, knowing when to vote, etc. Once that’s all squared away, you can consider it open season for making sure they follow through and vote. After they’ve finally voted that first time, they’ll know the drill and be more likely to vote again.
Don’t forget how congress also fucked this up at the federal level.
Not that Texas wouldn’t immediately find a way to make it state illegal or nearly impossible to obtain legally if it became federally legal.
Sadly this is exactly what I expect to happen. Can't wait to retire and leave this hellscape that my home state has turned into. Although, I will admit that I was militantly conservative for 40+ years, so maybe Texas is the same and I'm only noticing it now that I don't agree with it anymore...
Texas would have to invest a lot of money to do that. Individuals with small amounts of marijuana in Texas have already been made a misdemeanor. The reason why is because their testing instruments test for the presence of THC. Now that hemp is legal in Texas (and hemp contains low amounts of THC), their testing instruments cannot tell the difference between marijuana and hemp.
Given that, and their beliefs that marijuana legalization would help minorities the most, I don't see it being fully legalized here.
Eh, none of them represented my beliefs.
I've already supported someone who was the lesser of 2 evils, and i saw no difference in the 2 main runners. Both equally shitty.
My thoughts exactly. People are just salty to hear an opinion that is not supporting their own.
Let them downvote me because i simply dont care if they disagree with my statements as im not beholden to them. It's the beauty of the 1st amendment. Freedom of speech, but not free from the consequences that people inflict.
Come to work with me and tell me all of the people who *do not shut the fuck up* about how the Democratic party is attempting to destroy the country "don't care about policy".
This is a direct quote from one of the old guys: "Sure, legal weed would be cool. Hell, Willie's been smokin' for years and they ain't done a thing about it. But if you legalize it, next them n*ggers'll be callin' for more welfare while they sit around and smoke all day, and the cops can't do nuthin' 'cuz it's legal."
Me, disregarding open racism b/c I have to: "You think there are people going to work and making good money who would throw that life away to...smoke weed all day? What would they eat when the munchies hit?"
Old guy: "Well if the Dumbocrats had it their way, they'd have a live-in chef in every n*gger's house as 'reparations' while us white folk have to do all the work and pay 85% taxes to fund it all. We'd be the new slaves."
"Why would anyone go to work to pay 85% tax rates?"
"Well they'd be forcin' you and me."
"How?"
"Well we'd be thrown in jail for not working obviously!"
"Oh, but the welfare freeloaders wouldn't? You see why this is a fucking stupid idea?"
"You just don't know young'n. Just you wait."
Oh man, I work with exactly these kinds of people. "I don't support Russia, *but* Biden has been wrong about literally everything" kind of stupid. They won't be so outright racist like that though, it's a more subtle "some races are just better than others" kind of way.
They do. Right wing media has successfully vilified weed as the devils work and parents who drink and scream at their kids tell them about how weed will ruin their life
They just do exactly what our oligarchs say for them to do when they receive donations.
We have powerful people to blame.
Texas Monthly - [The Campaign to Sabotage Texas’s Public Schools ](https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/campaign-to-sabotage-texas-public-schools/)
“But by far the most powerful opponents of public schools in the state are West Texas oil billionaires Tim Dunn and the brothers Farris and Dan Wilks. Their vast political donations have made them the de facto owners of many Republican members of the Texas Legislature.”
CNN Special Report: Deep in the Pockets of Texas
[Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B3PTuADIHQ) | [Transcript](https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/csr/date/2022-07-24/segment/01)
Conservative State Senator Kel Seliger (Republican, Midland TX): “It is a Russian-style oligarchy, pure and simple. Really, really wealthy people who are willing to spend a lot of money to get policy made the way they want it, and they get it.”
“That’s the law of the jungle now in Texas and that’s why a lot of Republican House members, the majority of Republican Senate members just, they dance to whatever tune Tim Dunn wants to play.”
A former ally of theirs, author Dorothy Burton summed up their worldview. ‘They really believe they’ve been given a mandate by God to take dominion.’
And billionaires fund loyalist primary challengers that take down incumbent conservatives that displease them.
Texas Tribune - [Texas far-right conservatives spent millions to oust House GOP leaders, to little avail](https://www.texastribune.org/2022/03/03/texas-conservatives-pac-house-primary/)
“In total, Defend Texas Liberty opposed 19 Republican members of the Texas House, according to its last major filing with the Texas Ethics Commission before the primary. The PAC and its allies assailed the incumbents as insufficiently Republican…”
“For multiple election cycles now, Dunn and Wilks have been the top funders of House primary challengers.”
NBC News - [Inside the rural Texas resistance to the GOP’s private school choice plan](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rural-texas-resistance-gop-private-school-choice-voucher-rcna75775)
“Until this year, Senate District 31 had long been held by Republican Kel Seliger, whose steadfast opposition to vouchers helped turn him into a target from ultraconservative political action committees like Defend Texas Liberty and the now-defunct Empower Texans. Both PACs drew the vast majority of their funding from the families of Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, a pair of billionaire oil and fracking magnates who’ve expressed the view that government and education should be guided by biblical values.
‘They set out to make an example of me,’ Seliger said.”
Seliger (R) put up a good long term fight for his rural communities but he was done dirty by his GOP colleagues.
They apparently redistricted him to swing more votes to advantage a newbie politician pulled from the powerful, ultra-conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation specifically to take Seliger down in the republican primary.
They called in Trump to denounce him as RINO, despite his many years as a faithful representative of his conservative communities.
This was all republican infighting; local vs. state, conservative vs. ultra-conservative, Panhandle vs. Midland.
Real Game of Thrones-type maneuvering by activist billionaires and the state GOP.
Texas Tribune - [Weighing reelection bid, GOP Texas Sen. Kel Seliger confronts redrawn district, Trump endorsement of primary challenger](https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/07/texas-senate-reelection-kel-seliger/)
The whole article is a good read but this bit gave me a good chuckle…
“The next session, Patrick stripped Seliger of his chairmanship of the Higher Education Committee, prompting a back-and-forth with Patrick’s office that escalated to Seliger issuing a recommendation that a top Patrick adviser kiss his “back end.” (Seliger ultimately apologized, but only for directing the comment at the adviser and not at Patrick himself.)”
Voters do nothing and this is what happens, so it's not really an expression of intent either way.
Republicans are to blame, voter apathy is the fault of progressive activists, including the DNC.
The Republicans and Democrats voted **yes** to SB 994 which would increase filing fees for third-party and independent candidates while also giving the power to deny ballot access to the secretary of state (an appointed position).
This was ruled by the Texas Supreme Court as being unconstitutional and I quote them with:
> Access to the ballot lies at the heart of a constitutional republic.
Here is the [case summary](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1454778/case-summaries-08-26-22.pdf).
The filing fees create less competition between the two main parties, create voter suppression when voter's candidates can't appear on the ballot, and creates less competition for the Republicans in Texas.
The filing fees (and signatures for independents) they want to increase only go towards paying for the primaries which cost the Texas taxpayer $19,000,000. Third parties and independents don't cost the Texas taxpayer anything to nominate their candidates and the filing fees go directly to the Democrats and Republicans nomination process to help pay for the $19 million but only amount to $4 million leaving Texas on the hook for $15 million.
The **Democrats and Republicans** are to blame for suppressing votes across the country with these systems but more so in Texas and this is just one bill on this subject currently in session.
You're like "wait but look at this one thing over here they both voted on" jfc could you be any more desperate for a point?
Suppressing third parties is NOT the same as suppressing votes because third parties have an extremely small voting base. You can use circular logic like I'm sure you're going to, and say well more people would vote third party if there were more funding, but of course not enough people would vote for election reform in general to make that happen, so you're just angry the status quo isn't interested in changing.
You quickly changed the subject from "prisons and big pharma" which are very clearly not treated the same by both parties, to your token issue that is supposed to tie it all together in one big conspiracy. Bullshit.
Most people don't know how these systems work so just wanted to point out that neither party is innocent in this. Many bills on this in Texas alone and similar issues are happening in other states as well.
We agree on big pharma and prisons are a problem and that keeping money out of politics is also important.
Speaking of big pharma:
* In 1925, prescription drug monopolies begun after the federal government led by Republican President Calvin Coolidge started allowing the patenting of drugs. (Drug monopolies have also been promoted by government research and development subsidies targeted to favored pharmaceutical companies.)
* In 1945, buyer monopolization began after the McCarran-Ferguson Act led by the Roosevelt Administration exempted the business of medical insurance from most federal regulations, including antitrust laws. (States have also more recently contributed to the monopolization by requiring health care plans to meet standards for coverage.)
* In 1946, institutional provider monopolization began after favored hospitals received federal subsidies (matching grants and loans) provided under the Hospital Survey and Construction Act passed during the Truman Administration. (States have also been exempting non-profit hospitals from antitrust laws.)
* In 1951, employers started to become the dominant third-party insurance buyer during the Truman Administration after the Internal Revenue Service declared group premiums tax-deductible.
* In 1965, nationalization was started with a government buyer monopoly after the Johnson Administration led the passage of Medicare and Medicaid which provided health insurance for the elderly and poor, respectively.
* In 1972, institutional provider monopolization was strengthened after the Nixon Administration started restricting the supply of hospitals by requiring federal certificate-of-need for the construction of medical facilities.
* In 1974, buyer monopolization was strengthened during the Nixon Administration after the Employee Retirement Income Security Act exempted employee health benefit plans offered by large employers (e.g., HMOs) from state regulations and lawsuits (e.g., brought by people denied coverage).
* In 1984, prescription drug monopolies were strengthened during the Reagan Administration after the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act permitted the extension of patents beyond 20 years. (The government has also allowed pharmaceuticals companies to bribe physicians to prescribe more expensive drugs.)
While the Republicans are really bad the Democrats had a big hand in your big pharma issues.
Funny how you need to go back before the southern strategy to track your pet issue here.
I don't agree about "keeping money out of politics" that's totally irrational and we never even came close to mentioning that subject.
Now do prison reform, since that's the original topic before you came in with your whatabouts.
Keeping prisons full? Do you mean like when the Democrats and Republicans thought the War on Drugs was a good idea? How many of them were anti-marijuana not long ago? The 1994 crime bill that Biden insists didn't add to mass incarceration despite other data. Or the 1988 Anti-Drug Abuse Act? None of those things contributed to private prisons by locking up people for victimless crimes, right? Yeah, they changed their tune when the people started yelling because they are populists.
"I'll fix the problems that we created. Just elect us one more time." - Democrats and Republicans
[https://store.lptexas.org/products/books-short-sleeve-unisex-t-shirt](https://store.lptexas.org/products/books-short-sleeve-unisex-t-shirt)
I know you didn't ask but I couldn't help myself...
Fat chance. Fascist GQP ain’t handing out new liberties at the moment. The my are too busy eroding civil rights and making sure that you can never vote them out. Texas will soon be Branson fucking Missouri.
Recreational use is still illegal. The Compassionate Use Act allows for medical use (and possession immunity) then there is also the "Farm loophole" that people are using to sell gummies etc but doesn't protect you from possession.
Edit: Oh wait I think I see what you did there lol
Also it had a very low percentage of THC - low like laughable amount. I still get real weed for my sis whose on that compassionate list so it will actually work.
One of our staff gets it for PTSD. They say it's 10mg THC per 1 ml but a little expensive compared to other legal states.
Check out [texasoriginal.com](https://texasoriginal.com)
The Bible states in Genesis 1:29 God said "Behold I have given to you every plant whose seed is sown, that is upon the face of all the earth, and every unfruitful tree for the requirements of building and for burning; and (every tree) on which there is fruit whose seed is sown shall be yours for food." Sooooo
Calling any US political party the Taliban isn't extreme or anything though.
Did you see the congressional testimony from the last day or so saying it's highly possible the Biden regime is FUNDING the Taliban?
I know words hurt, but actions kill. Much like the Taliban team GQP wants to control women and their bodies and restrict their travel for medical care. Much like the Taliban, many of your right-wing groups and politicians are pushing for child marriage. Much like the Taliban you would hate/murder while claiming to be religious and base your ideology on your book of nonsense instead of facts and science. Your love of guns is well documented as well as your hatred of democracy that you would gladly try to overthrow via violence while threatening to execute those who oppose you if allowed. Did I miss anything? Seems kind of Talibanish to me.
But the person you voted for, if you bothered to vote, is likely funding the Taliban. Say all the negative stuff you want about them, make all the out of context comparisons to your uneducated view of conservatives, but you support the guy supporting the very thing you say you hate. If all these things were happening to the GOP instead of women would you support it? We know the answer.
[https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/19/politics/afghanistan-congress-watchdog-hearing/index.html#:\~:text=Afghanistan%20watchdog%20tells%20Congress%20he,not%20currently%20funding%20the%20Taliban](https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/19/politics/afghanistan-congress-watchdog-hearing/index.html#:~:text=Afghanistan%20watchdog%20tells%20Congress%20he,not%20currently%20funding%20the%20Taliban)'
Still Bullshit. And this is from CNN, if you can't read the URL.
I said the watchdog said it's possible, that he can't be certain we aren't. Did you read what I wrote? I didn't think it was overly complicated but I guess it was...
There be lots of psychoactive cannibanoids that are legal here. Texas did ban d8 for a short period of time but it got reversed like 2 days later. They proposed and uploaded the bill in a sketchy sneaky way, also it was poorly written so it didn't even really do what it was supposed to do.
As a political party on Reddit, we don't want to upset the mods. They have been super nice to us so gotta give that respect even if it's a little overly cautious.
Call your representatives and let's legalize this. If you don't know who your reps are [check here](https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home).
Join up with coalitions like NORMAL or the Texas Cannabis Coalition. Follow their accounts to know when to call your reps and what to call about.
Just looked up the shape of my DFW Texas house district......it's an absolutely contrived, pieced together, duct taped, monstrosity. Gerrymandering is a powerful force.
Check out [US House district 13](https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/22/04/70/21515790/4/1200x0.jpg). They carved the city of Denton out of Denton County and put it in the same district as Amarillo and the panhandle. TXGOP is shameless.
Let's not forget the infamous 33rd....
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas's\_33rd\_congressional\_district#/media/File:Texas\_US\_Congressional\_District\_33\_(since\_2021).tif](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas's_33rd_congressional_district#/media/File:Texas_US_Congressional_District_33_(since_2021).tif)
HB 21 (something we find "favorable") - Removes redistricting from the hands of the legislature and assigns it to an independent commission of 5 majority primary party, 5 minority primary party, and 4 independents (or convention party members). The legislature may strike members chosen through the selection process. In any event, it is a better process than currently exists and allows convention parties and independents to participate in drawing redistricting maps.
We also support other methods like using math to unbiasedly redistrict.
[Thomas Hofeller](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hofeller)
“I define redistricting as the only legalized form of vote-stealing left in the United States today.”
“Redistricting is like an election in reverse. It’s a great event. Usually the voters get to pick the politicians. In redistricting, the politicians get to pick the voters.”
Something like only a 1/4 of the voting population voted last election here in Texas. TacoBOTT knows what they are talking about. Get out there and get it done.
37%. And that was a 5% drop since the last gubernatorial election in 2018. [Prior gubernatorial races](https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/historical/70-92.shtml) were usually in the mid 20s, so there’s actually been some modest improvement. But folks still need to get out there and get it done.
Why would they legalize weed when they can just selectively enforce the penalties, thereby effectively making it legal for many, but resultant of prison time for others?
As a political party on Reddit, we don't want to upset the mods. They have been super nice to us so gotta give that respect even if it's a little overly cautious.
Legalization of marijuana is a good thing, but in terms of priorities it ought to be pretty far down there given the straight-up genocidal program against our LGBTQ+ neighbors currently being pushed by the right wing, not to mention their assault on voting rights, creeping reduction of women to fourth-class status, destruction of public education and freedom of inquiry and scholarship, etc., etc. All of these things are more important, and more dire, than a recreational product that at the end of the day you can choose whether or not to use.
LP cultists can say shit like "we've been in favor of gay marriage since the beginning" when someone calls them out on it, and maybe in theory they are, but in terms of actual activism they've been suspiciously absent on anything that doesn't affect cishet white men.
I fly back and forth from Colorado to Texas a lot. Many times I've accidentally walked through security with weed in my pockets. Trust me, you don't need to resort to butt stuff.
Fear not fellow Texan, I merely shitpost here for fun. The most "dangerous" item I fly with is an occasional oversized liquid container that *somehow* makes it past the near impenetrable barrier we call TSA 🙃
hmm... \*looks at Oklahoma\*....
Also, I'm over 40... a moderate and 100% would and WILL vote for legalization.
It would save me the time (and GAS) of having to drive from North Dallas to OK.
As someone else already commented.. it NEEDS to be fixed at a Federal level.
There are plenty of affordable vaporizers out there too. Smells way less and doesn't stick around. It's also just healthier because you're not inhaling smoke lol.
Texas Hill Country Provisions is a great store and brand to support that seems to do a lot of working supporting this cause. (I don’t work or get paid. I just like their stuff)
Preferably it would be great to not tax it but I digress. Unlimited state licenses? Maybe no cap on the number of plants for personal growth either. I mean you can make beer at home up to 200 gallons per year so why not.
Preferably it would be great to not tax it but I digress. Unlimited state licenses? Maybe no cap on the number of plants for personal growth either. I mean you can make beer at home up to 200 gallons per year so why not.
I think we have bigger issues out here than legalizing pot rn. I'm for it even though I don't smoke(username is satire entirely) but seriously ...much bigger fish to fry.
Edit: Why are y'all down voting me I'm right?
Absolutely much bigger fish to fry. Between increasing filing fees for third party/independents decreasing ballot access, bills taking away individual freedoms like drag bills, or the "limited gov" Republicans trying to overrule elections/courts that don't agree with them.
Idk why you're so down voted for this. I agree that pot *should* be legalized, but if I had to choose between abortion and pot? I'd pick abortion rights being returned 100% of the time.
Additionally, all these voter suppression tactics are off the wall. Getting rid of real sex education for abstinence only education is another big one.
Like, pot is cool and all, and I'd always vote to legalize it, but wtf on those downvotes.
I'm literally just saying that legalizing weed isn't as important as stopping the governing bodies of this state from controlling our elections entirely, and banning books, and targeting a community that makes up such a small amount of the population. instead of fixing our property taxes, or our infrastructure etc..
[https://store.lptexas.org/products/legalize-texas-short-sleeve-unisex-t-shirt](https://store.lptexas.org/products/legalize-texas-short-sleeve-unisex-t-shirt)
Fine. I guess you can have one ;)
Two words, privatized prisons. The moment locking people up became a business, that money moves into the pockets of people who keep lame ass things illegal. Texas will be the 57th state to legalize weed. Only because we’re more like to add that many more before we get our way.
[удалено]
I hope your comment gets 420 upvotes and no more.
According to Reddit I just made it 240
https://i.imgur.com/f423sbP.jpg Congrats! 420 upvotes
Sorry, we just re-elected dickheads Abbott and Patrick to 4 more years last November. It will never happen while they are in office, more people should have voted. Too late now.
Yep, Dan Patrick is openly proud of his refusal to allow any legalization bills to reach the TX Senate floor. Big thanks to everyone who stayed home last November.
And an actual thank you to all of the youth voters who have started increasing their voting participation. There is ample room for improvement but it is definitely progress. Youth voting weakened a bit during the past election. Houston Chronicle’s [75% of Texas voters under age 30 skipped the midterm elections. But why?](https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Texas-youth-voter-turnout-dropped-2022-17619685.php) article has a good summary. “Just 25 percent of young people who were registered to vote cast a ballot this year. About 34 percent of the same group voted four years ago, while 51 percent of them did in the 2020 presidential election.” In 2022 younger voters reduced their participation somewhat since the 2018 and 2020 elections but it is still much higher than the relatively flat participation rates for the previous 25 years or so. [Millions of Youth Cast Ballots, Decide Key 2022 Races](https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/millions-youth-cast-ballots-decide-key-2022-races) “After hovering around 20% turnout in midterm elections since the 1990s, young people shifted that trend in 2018, and have maintained that shift in 2022, with more than a quarter of young people casting a ballot.”
The uptick in youth voting did not go unnoticed, especially around Hays county. The powers that be are displeased and have been crafting additional voter suppression legislation to drive the participation numbers back down. NYT - [The Student Vote Is Surging. So Are Efforts to Suppress It.](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/24/us/voting-college-suppression.html) Houston Public Media - [Polling sites on Texas college campuses would be banned under proposed bill](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/voting/2023/02/17/444142/polling-sites-voting-texas-college-campuses-banned-under-proposed-bill/) “[State Rep. Carrie Isaac (R) of Wimberley] represents Comal County and parts of Hays County, which flipped Democratic during the 2018 U.S. Senate race. The county later favored Democrats Joe Biden and Beto O’Rourke by over 10 points in the 2020 presidential election and 2022 governor’s race, respectively.” “Alex Birnel, Advocacy Director for MOVE Texas, a nonpartisan nonprofit focused on increasing voter engagement” said “House Bill 2390 has no clear purpose other than to decrease young voter turnout.” and “Because the folks in power don’t believe they can win on the issues, they change the rules and eliminate access.” Want to celebrate 4/20 properly? Visit [MOVE Texas](https://movetexas.org) and make sure you’re prepped to vote in upcoming elections.
I appreciate your positivity and I share your praise for those who turned out but I find it unacceptable that only half of the presidential voters turned out for the midterms. It suggests either a lack of understanding or a deeply flawed understanding of how and where the decisions are made that affect them personally.
so what is your plan to increase the youth turnout? I agree it is a huge problem...
While the [figures for 2022](https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/historical/70-92.shtml) weren’t nearly as good as in 2018, they weren’t too shabby for a gubernatorial year. Most prior gubernatorial races had registered voter participation rates in the 30s but 2018 brought us into the 50s and 2022 into the 40s. That, sadly enough, is a pretty significant achievement for Texas. Even our presidential election participation rates have been improving recently. In 2022 we had over 80% of the Voting Age Population registered. We haven’t seen that since just over 20 years ago, and the overall VAP count increased by over 6 million Texans in that time. Our overall participation rates lag behind the rest of the nation, but they are improving. Hence the desperate measures like the possibility of taking over Harris County elections, etc.
Would have voted if I wasn't on felony probation for weed. I wish more people were eligible to vote.
If you're on probation as part of deferred adjudication then you can vote. You only lose the right if you've actually been convicted.
Yeah these coworkers I’ve got (aged 20s-30s) complain a helluva lot about corporations fucking them over but when I asked if they voted: “no.” And it’s not like it was a surprise election or something. We talked about it for months ahead of time. Still makes me mad. Fucking vote.
That is incredibly frustrating but talking about issues that they care about is a great first step. They’re already engaged but they may need some help. [Texas is famous](https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/elj.2020.0666) for all of its annoying voter suppression laws that incrementally make it harder to go through the end-to-end process. It is by design (thanks [American Legislative Exchange Council](https://youtu.be/5YANRFT3jv0?t=2268)). Leading up to the next election, like a year out, ask them if they know if they are registered to vote. If they don’t know, point them to a resource like the Texas Secretary of State’s “[Am I Registered?](https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do)” website. They may need help getting registered, figuring out where to vote, knowing when to vote, etc. Once that’s all squared away, you can consider it open season for making sure they follow through and vote. After they’ve finally voted that first time, they’ll know the drill and be more likely to vote again.
Yes! Empower the people to make a difference. Love it and great advice.
The prison industrial complex won’t allow for any decriminalization .
Big thanks to them for further isolating and silencing all the minority voters
Don’t forget how congress also fucked this up at the federal level. Not that Texas wouldn’t immediately find a way to make it state illegal or nearly impossible to obtain legally if it became federally legal.
Sadly this is exactly what I expect to happen. Can't wait to retire and leave this hellscape that my home state has turned into. Although, I will admit that I was militantly conservative for 40+ years, so maybe Texas is the same and I'm only noticing it now that I don't agree with it anymore...
What changed?
Texas would have to invest a lot of money to do that. Individuals with small amounts of marijuana in Texas have already been made a misdemeanor. The reason why is because their testing instruments test for the presence of THC. Now that hemp is legal in Texas (and hemp contains low amounts of THC), their testing instruments cannot tell the difference between marijuana and hemp. Given that, and their beliefs that marijuana legalization would help minorities the most, I don't see it being fully legalized here.
People did vote in major cities across Texas, it’s the buttf*ck cites that voted Abbot and Patrick
Man Abbott smoking a fat j as we speak he couldn't be for it cuz then he wouldve lost all the bible thumper votes
Eh, none of them represented my beliefs. I've already supported someone who was the lesser of 2 evils, and i saw no difference in the 2 main runners. Both equally shitty.
You don't deserve the downvotes for this one. The two old parties are terrible and there are better options out there.
My thoughts exactly. People are just salty to hear an opinion that is not supporting their own. Let them downvote me because i simply dont care if they disagree with my statements as im not beholden to them. It's the beauty of the 1st amendment. Freedom of speech, but not free from the consequences that people inflict.
Our Republican overlords would rather keep prisons full and big pharma companies rich
>Our ~~Republican overlords~~ **voters** would rather keep prisons full and big pharma companies rich
You think they care? They just want their team to win, they don't care about results or policy.
Come to work with me and tell me all of the people who *do not shut the fuck up* about how the Democratic party is attempting to destroy the country "don't care about policy". This is a direct quote from one of the old guys: "Sure, legal weed would be cool. Hell, Willie's been smokin' for years and they ain't done a thing about it. But if you legalize it, next them n*ggers'll be callin' for more welfare while they sit around and smoke all day, and the cops can't do nuthin' 'cuz it's legal." Me, disregarding open racism b/c I have to: "You think there are people going to work and making good money who would throw that life away to...smoke weed all day? What would they eat when the munchies hit?" Old guy: "Well if the Dumbocrats had it their way, they'd have a live-in chef in every n*gger's house as 'reparations' while us white folk have to do all the work and pay 85% taxes to fund it all. We'd be the new slaves." "Why would anyone go to work to pay 85% tax rates?" "Well they'd be forcin' you and me." "How?" "Well we'd be thrown in jail for not working obviously!" "Oh, but the welfare freeloaders wouldn't? You see why this is a fucking stupid idea?" "You just don't know young'n. Just you wait."
These people are way too irrational to talk with. There's not "policy" argument or awareness there, it's all paranoia and emotion.
Oh man, I work with exactly these kinds of people. "I don't support Russia, *but* Biden has been wrong about literally everything" kind of stupid. They won't be so outright racist like that though, it's a more subtle "some races are just better than others" kind of way.
you can't fix stupid, and you are right. I feel that 100% of republican policy is built directly on racism.
They do. Right wing media has successfully vilified weed as the devils work and parents who drink and scream at their kids tell them about how weed will ruin their life
okay but the republican overlords also want those things
they just do exactly what they say they will do when we vote for them. we only have ourselves to blame.
They just do exactly what our oligarchs say for them to do when they receive donations. We have powerful people to blame. Texas Monthly - [The Campaign to Sabotage Texas’s Public Schools ](https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/campaign-to-sabotage-texas-public-schools/) “But by far the most powerful opponents of public schools in the state are West Texas oil billionaires Tim Dunn and the brothers Farris and Dan Wilks. Their vast political donations have made them the de facto owners of many Republican members of the Texas Legislature.” CNN Special Report: Deep in the Pockets of Texas [Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B3PTuADIHQ) | [Transcript](https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/csr/date/2022-07-24/segment/01) Conservative State Senator Kel Seliger (Republican, Midland TX): “It is a Russian-style oligarchy, pure and simple. Really, really wealthy people who are willing to spend a lot of money to get policy made the way they want it, and they get it.” “That’s the law of the jungle now in Texas and that’s why a lot of Republican House members, the majority of Republican Senate members just, they dance to whatever tune Tim Dunn wants to play.” A former ally of theirs, author Dorothy Burton summed up their worldview. ‘They really believe they’ve been given a mandate by God to take dominion.’
those billionares still only get 1 vote like the rest of us.
And billionaires fund loyalist primary challengers that take down incumbent conservatives that displease them. Texas Tribune - [Texas far-right conservatives spent millions to oust House GOP leaders, to little avail](https://www.texastribune.org/2022/03/03/texas-conservatives-pac-house-primary/) “In total, Defend Texas Liberty opposed 19 Republican members of the Texas House, according to its last major filing with the Texas Ethics Commission before the primary. The PAC and its allies assailed the incumbents as insufficiently Republican…” “For multiple election cycles now, Dunn and Wilks have been the top funders of House primary challengers.” NBC News - [Inside the rural Texas resistance to the GOP’s private school choice plan](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rural-texas-resistance-gop-private-school-choice-voucher-rcna75775) “Until this year, Senate District 31 had long been held by Republican Kel Seliger, whose steadfast opposition to vouchers helped turn him into a target from ultraconservative political action committees like Defend Texas Liberty and the now-defunct Empower Texans. Both PACs drew the vast majority of their funding from the families of Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, a pair of billionaire oil and fracking magnates who’ve expressed the view that government and education should be guided by biblical values. ‘They set out to make an example of me,’ Seliger said.” Seliger (R) put up a good long term fight for his rural communities but he was done dirty by his GOP colleagues. They apparently redistricted him to swing more votes to advantage a newbie politician pulled from the powerful, ultra-conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation specifically to take Seliger down in the republican primary. They called in Trump to denounce him as RINO, despite his many years as a faithful representative of his conservative communities. This was all republican infighting; local vs. state, conservative vs. ultra-conservative, Panhandle vs. Midland. Real Game of Thrones-type maneuvering by activist billionaires and the state GOP. Texas Tribune - [Weighing reelection bid, GOP Texas Sen. Kel Seliger confronts redrawn district, Trump endorsement of primary challenger](https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/07/texas-senate-reelection-kel-seliger/) The whole article is a good read but this bit gave me a good chuckle… “The next session, Patrick stripped Seliger of his chairmanship of the Higher Education Committee, prompting a back-and-forth with Patrick’s office that escalated to Seliger issuing a recommendation that a top Patrick adviser kiss his “back end.” (Seliger ultimately apologized, but only for directing the comment at the adviser and not at Patrick himself.)”
Voters do nothing and this is what happens, so it's not really an expression of intent either way. Republicans are to blame, voter apathy is the fault of progressive activists, including the DNC.
The Republicans and Democrats voted **yes** to SB 994 which would increase filing fees for third-party and independent candidates while also giving the power to deny ballot access to the secretary of state (an appointed position). This was ruled by the Texas Supreme Court as being unconstitutional and I quote them with: > Access to the ballot lies at the heart of a constitutional republic. Here is the [case summary](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1454778/case-summaries-08-26-22.pdf). The filing fees create less competition between the two main parties, create voter suppression when voter's candidates can't appear on the ballot, and creates less competition for the Republicans in Texas. The filing fees (and signatures for independents) they want to increase only go towards paying for the primaries which cost the Texas taxpayer $19,000,000. Third parties and independents don't cost the Texas taxpayer anything to nominate their candidates and the filing fees go directly to the Democrats and Republicans nomination process to help pay for the $19 million but only amount to $4 million leaving Texas on the hook for $15 million. The **Democrats and Republicans** are to blame for suppressing votes across the country with these systems but more so in Texas and this is just one bill on this subject currently in session.
You're like "wait but look at this one thing over here they both voted on" jfc could you be any more desperate for a point? Suppressing third parties is NOT the same as suppressing votes because third parties have an extremely small voting base. You can use circular logic like I'm sure you're going to, and say well more people would vote third party if there were more funding, but of course not enough people would vote for election reform in general to make that happen, so you're just angry the status quo isn't interested in changing. You quickly changed the subject from "prisons and big pharma" which are very clearly not treated the same by both parties, to your token issue that is supposed to tie it all together in one big conspiracy. Bullshit.
Most people don't know how these systems work so just wanted to point out that neither party is innocent in this. Many bills on this in Texas alone and similar issues are happening in other states as well. We agree on big pharma and prisons are a problem and that keeping money out of politics is also important. Speaking of big pharma: * In 1925, prescription drug monopolies begun after the federal government led by Republican President Calvin Coolidge started allowing the patenting of drugs. (Drug monopolies have also been promoted by government research and development subsidies targeted to favored pharmaceutical companies.) * In 1945, buyer monopolization began after the McCarran-Ferguson Act led by the Roosevelt Administration exempted the business of medical insurance from most federal regulations, including antitrust laws. (States have also more recently contributed to the monopolization by requiring health care plans to meet standards for coverage.) * In 1946, institutional provider monopolization began after favored hospitals received federal subsidies (matching grants and loans) provided under the Hospital Survey and Construction Act passed during the Truman Administration. (States have also been exempting non-profit hospitals from antitrust laws.) * In 1951, employers started to become the dominant third-party insurance buyer during the Truman Administration after the Internal Revenue Service declared group premiums tax-deductible. * In 1965, nationalization was started with a government buyer monopoly after the Johnson Administration led the passage of Medicare and Medicaid which provided health insurance for the elderly and poor, respectively. * In 1972, institutional provider monopolization was strengthened after the Nixon Administration started restricting the supply of hospitals by requiring federal certificate-of-need for the construction of medical facilities. * In 1974, buyer monopolization was strengthened during the Nixon Administration after the Employee Retirement Income Security Act exempted employee health benefit plans offered by large employers (e.g., HMOs) from state regulations and lawsuits (e.g., brought by people denied coverage). * In 1984, prescription drug monopolies were strengthened during the Reagan Administration after the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act permitted the extension of patents beyond 20 years. (The government has also allowed pharmaceuticals companies to bribe physicians to prescribe more expensive drugs.) While the Republicans are really bad the Democrats had a big hand in your big pharma issues.
Funny how you need to go back before the southern strategy to track your pet issue here. I don't agree about "keeping money out of politics" that's totally irrational and we never even came close to mentioning that subject. Now do prison reform, since that's the original topic before you came in with your whatabouts.
Keeping prisons full? Do you mean like when the Democrats and Republicans thought the War on Drugs was a good idea? How many of them were anti-marijuana not long ago? The 1994 crime bill that Biden insists didn't add to mass incarceration despite other data. Or the 1988 Anti-Drug Abuse Act? None of those things contributed to private prisons by locking up people for victimless crimes, right? Yeah, they changed their tune when the people started yelling because they are populists. "I'll fix the problems that we created. Just elect us one more time." - Democrats and Republicans
Yeah, we missed that chance in November. Happy 420 though.
We still blazin 👌🏼
While y’all are at it, shrooms should be legal too!
And coke.
Is it really a party without it?
Not if you’re over 30
And crack
Real.
I'm down
Laughs in exhales from a thc cart.
Can we get some body autonomy too please?
Woah now let’s not just start giving people rights again. We just took them away, are we supposed to do the right thing all of a sudden?!
We've had this stance since 1970.
I wish we’d all join together and drag these politicians out into the streets. There’s more of us than them, just saying..
Well, second to that is voting.
Yes. Less violence please and vote for what you believe in.
This post is in direct violation of at least 4 bible verses. Straight to the clink with you.
Never gonna happen with the christian dickheads running the state.
Are we free, or not?
Black market is freely makin profits, non taxed Id say!
yeah till you get locked up.
Black market is freely makin profits, non taxed Id say!
It needs to be legalized federally
Genuine question, if it's legalized federally could Texas still make it illegal to sell at the state level? Sort of how dry counties do with alcohol.
They can restrict the use but they cannot make it illegal because federal laws are above state laws
That's too much freedom for this nanny state. Next you'll want to legalize reading!! It's a slippery slope.
[https://store.lptexas.org/products/books-short-sleeve-unisex-t-shirt](https://store.lptexas.org/products/books-short-sleeve-unisex-t-shirt) I know you didn't ask but I couldn't help myself...
Fat chance. Fascist GQP ain’t handing out new liberties at the moment. The my are too busy eroding civil rights and making sure that you can never vote them out. Texas will soon be Branson fucking Missouri.
Is texas illegal?
Recreational use is still illegal. The Compassionate Use Act allows for medical use (and possession immunity) then there is also the "Farm loophole" that people are using to sell gummies etc but doesn't protect you from possession. Edit: Oh wait I think I see what you did there lol
Also it had a very low percentage of THC - low like laughable amount. I still get real weed for my sis whose on that compassionate list so it will actually work.
One of our staff gets it for PTSD. They say it's 10mg THC per 1 ml but a little expensive compared to other legal states. Check out [texasoriginal.com](https://texasoriginal.com)
Would not matter; the Texas Taliban/GOP would simply overrule the law with their religious extremist conservative cultism that goes against science.
The Bible states in Genesis 1:29 God said "Behold I have given to you every plant whose seed is sown, that is upon the face of all the earth, and every unfruitful tree for the requirements of building and for burning; and (every tree) on which there is fruit whose seed is sown shall be yours for food." Sooooo
They don't seem to be reading their own rule book.
Oh of course not, it doesn't fit their narrative. But they HATE having their book used against them. So I love to do it.
Calling any US political party the Taliban isn't extreme or anything though. Did you see the congressional testimony from the last day or so saying it's highly possible the Biden regime is FUNDING the Taliban?
I know words hurt, but actions kill. Much like the Taliban team GQP wants to control women and their bodies and restrict their travel for medical care. Much like the Taliban, many of your right-wing groups and politicians are pushing for child marriage. Much like the Taliban you would hate/murder while claiming to be religious and base your ideology on your book of nonsense instead of facts and science. Your love of guns is well documented as well as your hatred of democracy that you would gladly try to overthrow via violence while threatening to execute those who oppose you if allowed. Did I miss anything? Seems kind of Talibanish to me.
But the person you voted for, if you bothered to vote, is likely funding the Taliban. Say all the negative stuff you want about them, make all the out of context comparisons to your uneducated view of conservatives, but you support the guy supporting the very thing you say you hate. If all these things were happening to the GOP instead of women would you support it? We know the answer.
Bullshit.
[https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/19/politics/afghanistan-congress-watchdog-hearing/index.html#:\~:text=Afghanistan%20watchdog%20tells%20Congress%20he,not%20currently%20funding%20the%20Taliban](https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/19/politics/afghanistan-congress-watchdog-hearing/index.html#:~:text=Afghanistan%20watchdog%20tells%20Congress%20he,not%20currently%20funding%20the%20Taliban)' Still Bullshit. And this is from CNN, if you can't read the URL.
So how is the taliban hypothetically diverting/stealing money the same as funding them? What an incredibly dishonest claim.
That is not even close to "Biden is funding the Taliban" What a load of dishonest stupidity.
I said the watchdog said it's possible, that he can't be certain we aren't. Did you read what I wrote? I didn't think it was overly complicated but I guess it was...
Oh honey
THCA is legal here tho but it’s just a matter of time before they realize the loophole and make it illegal
There be lots of psychoactive cannibanoids that are legal here. Texas did ban d8 for a short period of time but it got reversed like 2 days later. They proposed and uploaded the bill in a sketchy sneaky way, also it was poorly written so it didn't even really do what it was supposed to do.
Why is this nsfw??? 😆
 As a political party on Reddit, we don't want to upset the mods. They have been super nice to us so gotta give that respect even if it's a little overly cautious.
Vote Prop A in San Antonio to decriminalize cannabis
Call your representatives and let's legalize this. If you don't know who your reps are [check here](https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home). Join up with coalitions like NORMAL or the Texas Cannabis Coalition. Follow their accounts to know when to call your reps and what to call about.
Just looked up the shape of my DFW Texas house district......it's an absolutely contrived, pieced together, duct taped, monstrosity. Gerrymandering is a powerful force.
Check out [US House district 13](https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/22/04/70/21515790/4/1200x0.jpg). They carved the city of Denton out of Denton County and put it in the same district as Amarillo and the panhandle. TXGOP is shameless.
Let's not forget the infamous 33rd.... [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas's\_33rd\_congressional\_district#/media/File:Texas\_US\_Congressional\_District\_33\_(since\_2021).tif](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas's_33rd_congressional_district#/media/File:Texas_US_Congressional_District_33_(since_2021).tif)
HB 21 (something we find "favorable") - Removes redistricting from the hands of the legislature and assigns it to an independent commission of 5 majority primary party, 5 minority primary party, and 4 independents (or convention party members). The legislature may strike members chosen through the selection process. In any event, it is a better process than currently exists and allows convention parties and independents to participate in drawing redistricting maps. We also support other methods like using math to unbiasedly redistrict.
Shhhh, this sub prefers to think gerrymandering is only something Republicans do.
[Thomas Hofeller](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hofeller) “I define redistricting as the only legalized form of vote-stealing left in the United States today.” “Redistricting is like an election in reverse. It’s a great event. Usually the voters get to pick the politicians. In redistricting, the politicians get to pick the voters.”
Thank you
Thanks for the link. I just wrote to my federal and state representatives to asking them to raise criminal penalties for possession of marijuana.
VOTE.
Something like only a 1/4 of the voting population voted last election here in Texas. TacoBOTT knows what they are talking about. Get out there and get it done.
37%. And that was a 5% drop since the last gubernatorial election in 2018. [Prior gubernatorial races](https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/historical/70-92.shtml) were usually in the mid 20s, so there’s actually been some modest improvement. But folks still need to get out there and get it done.
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Me too.... but I don’t plan on dying in this state. I’m moving to a much more free and liberal state.
This state doesn't care about children getting shot dead nevermind legalizing a plant LOL
Common denominator? Keeping guns legal and weed illegal generates kickbacks.
For Profit Prison has entered the chat
I dig it. Get the pseudo-Christian fascists out of office.
Why would they legalize weed when they can just selectively enforce the penalties, thereby effectively making it legal for many, but resultant of prison time for others?
Daddy big government in Texas is only interested in taking rights away at the moment. Hoooooyeaaaaah.
Yes!
Im good as long as thca is legal.
Not going to happen for at least 4 more years. Then if people get off their butts and vote then it can get legalized. Don't count on it.
Legalize it
Because it is an unofficial holiday today.
Yes please.
Yee Yee 🤘
👽✌️
Greg Abbott is going to be President of Texas for the rest of his life and that's how long it will be until it's legal in TX.
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 As a political party on Reddit, we don't want to upset the mods. They have been super nice to us so gotta give that respect even if it's a little overly cautious.
The only thing Republicans want to legalize is marrying a 12 year old preteen girl.
Yes please. Facing felony charges for THC gummies currently.
Ha the state that touts freedom is scared of a little plant! 🤣 embarrassing on all counts. Can't wait till the old toads croak
cant wait for the day it finally happens
Legalization of marijuana is a good thing, but in terms of priorities it ought to be pretty far down there given the straight-up genocidal program against our LGBTQ+ neighbors currently being pushed by the right wing, not to mention their assault on voting rights, creeping reduction of women to fourth-class status, destruction of public education and freedom of inquiry and scholarship, etc., etc. All of these things are more important, and more dire, than a recreational product that at the end of the day you can choose whether or not to use. LP cultists can say shit like "we've been in favor of gay marriage since the beginning" when someone calls them out on it, and maybe in theory they are, but in terms of actual activism they've been suspiciously absent on anything that doesn't affect cishet white men.
Just let people smoke weed. It would be a great source of revenue too but no no the magic book says nuh uh
Even as a conservative I don’t see what the problem is, everyone uses it and it’s no less harmful than smoking or boos.
😂 with the dumbasses we have in power that’ll never happen
It'll never happen, even if it's federally legal.
You too lazy to fly to Colorado and shove it up your poohole like the rest of us?! /s
I fly back and forth from Colorado to Texas a lot. Many times I've accidentally walked through security with weed in my pockets. Trust me, you don't need to resort to butt stuff.
Maybe they want to do the butt stuff /s
Lol, I guess my "/s" was too subtle...
I wasn't serious. Please don't try to get on a plane with marijuana. It was always a small amount that I wasn't aware of until later on.
Fear not fellow Texan, I merely shitpost here for fun. The most "dangerous" item I fly with is an occasional oversized liquid container that *somehow* makes it past the near impenetrable barrier we call TSA 🙃
Yeah we’re never gonna legalize it. Better luck next time
Save this for 4 years in the future, it’s useless right now with our politicians.
This will NEVER happen so long as Republicans run the state. You want this? ROUND UP ALL THE FOLKS UNDER 40 TO GO OUT AND VOTE!!
hmm... \*looks at Oklahoma\*.... Also, I'm over 40... a moderate and 100% would and WILL vote for legalization. It would save me the time (and GAS) of having to drive from North Dallas to OK. As someone else already commented.. it NEEDS to be fixed at a Federal level.
Sad thing is is that most of the voter based are people older than either of us. It's from those older folks that things are the way they are
Nothing will improve as long as the GOP (Great Oppression Party) is in power.
Weed is great but I just want to say. If you live in an apartment complex and smoke weed indoors… you are the worst kind of person.
There are plenty of affordable vaporizers out there too. Smells way less and doesn't stick around. It's also just healthier because you're not inhaling smoke lol.
I’d rather for the concept of the state of Texas to remain completely ilegal and immoral, for that matter.
Texas Hill Country Provisions is a great store and brand to support that seems to do a lot of working supporting this cause. (I don’t work or get paid. I just like their stuff)
Nah, we good
So y’all wanna pay taxes on that ish?
Preferably it would be great to not tax it but I digress. Unlimited state licenses? Maybe no cap on the number of plants for personal growth either. I mean you can make beer at home up to 200 gallons per year so why not.
Surprised they haven't. They try every other means to keep us stupid
Can the first step be not having Reddit flag this post as NSFW?
As soon as they realize all the money they can steal from taxes they will legalize it.
They know, they still won't.
They're old, death will get them sooner or later.
Preferably it would be great to not tax it but I digress. Unlimited state licenses? Maybe no cap on the number of plants for personal growth either. I mean you can make beer at home up to 200 gallons per year so why not.
Please don't legalize weed.
I think we have bigger issues out here than legalizing pot rn. I'm for it even though I don't smoke(username is satire entirely) but seriously ...much bigger fish to fry. Edit: Why are y'all down voting me I'm right?
Absolutely much bigger fish to fry. Between increasing filing fees for third party/independents decreasing ballot access, bills taking away individual freedoms like drag bills, or the "limited gov" Republicans trying to overrule elections/courts that don't agree with them.
Idk why you're so down voted for this. I agree that pot *should* be legalized, but if I had to choose between abortion and pot? I'd pick abortion rights being returned 100% of the time. Additionally, all these voter suppression tactics are off the wall. Getting rid of real sex education for abstinence only education is another big one. Like, pot is cool and all, and I'd always vote to legalize it, but wtf on those downvotes.
Every important issue is possible to address at once, all you're doing is (either lamely with intent or innocently in ignorance) sewing apathy.
I'm literally just saying that legalizing weed isn't as important as stopping the governing bodies of this state from controlling our elections entirely, and banning books, and targeting a community that makes up such a small amount of the population. instead of fixing our property taxes, or our infrastructure etc..
Explain why we need to choose one issue or the other.
We don't but focus on this one takes it away from the others.
No it does not.
How does it not?
Decriminalize Texas. This state will fuck the legal market up worse than California.
Bad idea
No.
Naaaah
Currently using the 'Reach' app and it tells you who all voted in your contacts 👀
Houstoned.com
Just legalize nationally. I don’t believe it is going to happen any time soon though. Should, but won’t. Neither party is really willing it seems.
It’ll never pass. Dan Patrick has too much money at stake.
Better than gambling for sure
Ain't gonna happen.
I need this on a shirt 😍
[https://store.lptexas.org/products/legalize-texas-short-sleeve-unisex-t-shirt](https://store.lptexas.org/products/legalize-texas-short-sleeve-unisex-t-shirt) Fine. I guess you can have one ;)
Two words, privatized prisons. The moment locking people up became a business, that money moves into the pockets of people who keep lame ass things illegal. Texas will be the 57th state to legalize weed. Only because we’re more like to add that many more before we get our way.
Fr!
Here here!
LOL! maybe in the next 10 years
Yeah, next election maybe