San Antonio Justice Charter

Proposition A failed to pass with nearly three-quarters of the vote against it, amidst opposition from those concerned it would increase crime, hurt small businesses, and make San Antonio less safe.

Prop A is a criminal justice reform city charter amendment, but its length and the heated debate about it may make it hard to sort fact from fiction.

The anti-abortion group Texas Alliance for Life had argued Proposition A should be broken up into multiple city charter amendments because it contains a range of policy reforms, including the decriminalization of abortion and marijuana possession.

The event brought together local labor, immigration, and abortion advocates as well as Casar, Democratic politician Wendy Davis, and former District 1 councilman Roberto Treviño.

Councilmembers Perry, Pelaez, and Courage abstained from the ministerial vote that was required following the city clerk’s verification of more than 20,000 signatures endorsing the criminal justice reform city charter amendment.

The lawsuit argues the criminal justice reform initiative must be pulled from the May ballot because it contains multiple subjects, which is against state law for city charter amendments. Representatives for the organizations supporting the initiative says that's not true.

The Justice Charter would decriminalize abortion and low-level weed possession, codify cite-and-release, ban the use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants by SAPD, and establish a city Justice Director to oversee criminal justice policy if passed.

The Justice Charter would enshrine several criminal justice reforms into the city charter if passed, including decriminalizing abortion.