San Antonio, TX – ACT 4 SA and Ground Game Texas strongly maintain that all of the items in the proposed charter amendment fall under one issue — public safety.
The Justice Charter is a comprehensive approach to police reform and each piece- from the decriminalization of marijuana and abortion, to the banning of police chokeholds and no-knock warrants, are important steps to make our community safer.
Opponents of the charter amendment falsely argue that each provision should be voted on separately, but this would only hinder progress and the ability to address policing in our community comprehensively.
Decriminalizing marijuana and abortion, for instance, can reduce instances of police brutality and excessive force by stopping unnecessary interaction with police for nonviolent, victimless offenses. To be clear, nobody should have to die over a joint in their pocket. Banning police chokeholds and no-knock warrants can also improve public safety by reducing the chances of police violence against innocent individuals.
Furthermore, as the proposed charter amendment was presented to the public and petition-signers as a single, unified package, it should be voted on as such to respect the will of the public and the steps they took in seeking police accountability. The 38,000 residents who signed the petition did so with the understanding that all the provisions of the charter amendment were interconnected and part of a comprehensive approach to public safety.
Therefore, ACT 4 SA and Ground Game Texas have filed an intervenors’ joint response to the petition of mandamus filed last week by Texas Alliance for Life to defend the Justice Charter as a single, comprehensive reform that will be presented to San Antonio voters for adoption on May 6, 2023. This will enable San Antonio to make progress in addressing these pressing issues of police accountability and create a safer, more just community for all.
“We cannot afford to separate these crucial police reforms and jeopardize the safety of our community. The 38,000 petition-signers understood this, and we must honor their commitment to justice. The tragic loss of Tyre Nichols, Charles “Chop” Roundtree, and countless others is a heartbreaking reminder that accountability is not optional – it is a matter of life and death.” – Ananda Tomas, Executive Director of ACT 4 SA
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About Act 4 SA:
ACT 4 SA empowers the San Antonio community through year-round base building, grassroots actions, educational campaigns, and more to achieve the accountable, compassionate, and transparent public safety system we all deserve.
About Ground Game Texas
Ground Game Texas is a voter engagement and mobilization organization founded by Register2Vote leaders Julie Oliver and Mike Siegel in 2021. Based in Austin, Ground Game Texas seeks to organize voters community-by-community, collaborating with partners on the ground to meet voters at their doors and push for popular progressive policies across the state of Texas.
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