Less than 24 hours after the Texas State House passed HB 63, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick declared the measure “dead in the Texas Senate.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tweeted early Tuesday morning, “Criminal Justice Chair @Whitmire_John is right that #HB 63 is dead in the @Texas Senate. I join with those House Republicans who oppose this step toward legalization of marijuana.”
On Monday, the Texas State House passed HB 63, which would have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana, by a 98-43 vote.
The bill would have made possession of one ounce or less of marijuana a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500. Officers could not arrest a person in possession of marijuana unless they are also committing another offense that warrants arrest.
With the bill’s failure, Texas remains one of about a dozen states where possession of marijuana results in a criminal record.
