Pro-Life Group Files Petition to Stop San Antonio’s ‘Justice Policy’ Charter Amendment Election | THE TEXAN

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By: KIM ROBERTS

The Texas Local Government Code provides, “An amendment may not contain more than one subject.”

In its petition, Texas Alliance for Life acknowledges that courts have allowed cities to hold elections on proposals that make multiple amendments to a city charter, but note that all were dealing with a single subject.

However, in this case, the subject matters vary from marijuana possession to abortion crimes so that residents who may agree with one issue could disagree on another, but would be forced to cast only one vote for or against the entire proposal.

In its reply brief, the city made a procedural argument that the petition should have first been presented to an appellate court before coming to the Texas Supreme Court.

Regarding multiple subjects in the charter amendment, the city argued that it “plausibly read the proposed ‘Justice Policy’ charter amendment language as relating to one subject.”

It also asserted that petitioners Texas Alliance for Life and Morris are premature in their challenge, and instead should challenge the amendment after the election should it be approved by voters.

Paxton Petitions Texas Supreme Court to Prevent an Unlawful Charter Amendment From Being Placed on San Antonio Voters’ Ballots in the Upcoming May Election | The Katy News

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AUSTIN – Attorney General Paxton has filed an amicus letter brief in the Texas Supreme Court to stop an unlawful charter amendment from being placed on the ballots of San Antonio, Texas voters in the upcoming May 2023 municipal general election. The letter brief was filed in support of the Texas Alliance for Life’s challenge to the charter amendment, which contains numerous left-wing policy initiatives.

To ensure that charter amendments are clear and that voters can make their voices heard, Texas state law requires charter amendments to include only one subject. But San Antonio’s proposed charter amendment does not accord with this long-standing legal requirement, as it contains a multitude of different topics.

Even the San Antonio City Attorney has acknowledged that the proposed amendment presents at least six subjects, among them changes to policies regarding abortion, marijuana, no-knock warrants, chokeholds, the creation of a new municipal government position, and a reduction in criminal penalties for numerous state-law crimes.

Amid legal issues, proposed Justice Charter is added to San Antonio’s May ballot | SAN ANTONIO Report

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By: Iris Dimmick

Meanwhile, the proposed charter amendment is facing a legal challenge at the Texas Supreme Court from the anti-abortion group Texas Alliance for Life Inc.

The group has requested that the city reject the proposed ballot language and instead require a vote on each provision individually. The petition is pending, but the court issued an order Thursday morning that requires both parties to provide a status report to the court next week outlining the ballot language.

Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office urged the court to side with opponents. Solicitor General Judd Stone wrote Wednesday in a letter to the court that the Justice Charter “flagrantly violates” a state law prohibiting multi-subject charter amendments.

San Antonio City Council approves pot- and abortion-decriminalization measure to go before voters in May | San Antonio Current

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By: Michael Karlis

This week, anti-abortion group Texas Alliance for Life filed a petition with the court arguing that the Justice Charter Initiative is illegal because it includes more than one subject. Solicitor General Judd Stone reiterated these sentiments in a letter submitted to the state’s high court, arguing that the proposal “flagrantly violates” state law, according to the San Antonio Report.

AG’s Office: Proposed charter amendment ‘flagrantly violates’ state law | SAN ANTONIO Report

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Stone urged the court to grant a petition filed by the anti-abortion group Texas Alliance for Life Inc. (TAL) requesting that the city reject the proposed ballot language, and instead require a vote on each provision individually.
“While the substance of this proposed charter amendment conflicts with multiple substantive provisions of state law, this mandamus proceeding concerns a procedural problem: the charter amendment plainly violates Texas law’s longstanding prohibition on municipal charter amendments that ‘contain more than one subject,’” Stone wrote.