Coronavirus News

Dallas is declared local state of disaster and limits public gatherings

Kendrick Lamar March Madness Music Festival crowd

Crowds like this, no longer OK.

Photo by Killy

UPDATE 4-3-2020: The Dallas County Commissioner's Court voted to extend the disaster declaration until May 20, and Judge Clay Jenkins extended the shelter-in-place order until April 20.

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UPDATE 3-27-2020: The Dallas City Council has extended the city's disaster status until April 29. According to WFAA, Mayor Eric Johnson asked City Council members to consider leaving the declaration in place indefinitely, but a majority of the council members said they wanted to set a date and then reassess.

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Dallas has been declared a local state of disaster, via a March 12 proclamation by Mayor Eric Johnson, in response to evidence of community spread of COVID-19 within the city.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins also issued a proclamation restricting gatherings across the county to 500 people.

In addition, all public, private, and commercial labs are now required to report the number of COVID-19 tests conducted on a daily basis.

The proclamation also provides the city manager the ability to enact other measures intended to protect the health and welfare of the public.

"Given the evidence of community spread of COVID-19, this was a necessary step that gives the City the authority to do what it needs to do to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of our residents," says Mayor Johnson in a release. "We must do all that we can to slow the spread of the coronavirus and prevent serious illness and deaths in our city."

The proclamation comes in consultation with Dallas County, which is the City's public health authority, and other cities in the county.

The proclamation takes effect immediately and will expire on March 20, unless renewed by the Dallas City Council. A special City Council meeting has been called for Wednesday, March 18, to discuss the city and county's COVID-19 response and preparations.

According to the release, the mayor intends to place the renewal of the proclamation on the meeting's agenda.

For more information on COVID-19, visit the City’s web page, www.dallascityhall.com/coronavirus.

health

Weed News

Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas files bill to legalize marijuana

Redheaded Blackbelt

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Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana