Gov Greg Abbott says no to pardons for marijuana offenders in Texas
A spokeswoman for the Texas governor says they will not be taking advice on criminal justice from the White House
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Your support makes all the difference.Texas Governor Greg Abbott has rebuffed a request from President Joe Biden to consider state pardons for low-level marijuana possession.
In a statement issued earlier this week, Mr Abbott’s spokeswoman Renae Eze said: “Texas is not in the habit of taking criminal justice advice from the leader of the defund police party and someone who has overseen a criminal justice system run amuck with cashless bail and a revolving door for violent criminals.”
On Thursday, Mr Biden announced a mass pardon of thousands of people convicted of federal marijuana possession.
“Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit,” Mr Biden said.
The president also asked the Department of Health and Human Services to review marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I drug as a first step towards a nationwide decriminalisation.
Ms Eze said in a statement that the Texas governor could only pardon offenders who have received a recommendation for a pardon and been through the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Mr Abbott’s Democratic opponent Beto O’Rourke has said he will legalise marijuana in the Lone Star state if elected.
First: I’m pardoning all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession. There are thousands of people who were previously convicted of simple possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result. My pardon will remove this burden.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 6, 2022
Several other Republican governors also said they would not be issuing blanket pardons for marijuana possession.
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson accused Mr Biden of “playing election year politics” in a statement posted to Twitter.
A spokesperson for Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said told CBS42 didn’t have the power to issue sweeping pardons.
“Even if the board could grant an across-the-board pardon, it would only impact a very small fraction, less than one percent of those currently serving sentences in our state.”
Meanwhile, several Democratic governors welcomed the mass pardons.
Thrilled to see @POTUS follow Colorado’s lead - 2 years ago, I took bold action to clean up past inequities by pardoning convictions for Coloradans who possessed a small amount of cannabis. Today’s federal action will change people’s lives and not block their success.
— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) October 6, 2022
“Today’s federal action will change people’s lives and not block their success,” Colorado Governor Jared Polis said in a statement on Twitter.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said it was the correct move, but that state law didn’t allow him to issue widespread pardons.
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