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Austin, Texas, Proposition A, Oversight of Police Measure (May 2023)
| Austin Proposition A | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Local law enforcement |
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| Status |
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| Type Initiative |
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Austin Proposition A was on the ballot as an initiative in Austin on May 6, 2023. It was approved.
A "yes" vote supported making changes to the civilian oversight system of the Austin Police Department, with provisions that include:
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A "no" vote opposed making changes to the civilian oversight system of the Austin Police Department. |
Election results
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Austin Proposition A |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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51,919 | 79.86% | ||
| No | 13,097 | 20.14% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Proposition A was as follows:
| “ | Shall the voters of Austin adopt an initiated ordinance that will deter police misconduct and brutality by strengthening the City's system of independent and transparent civilian police oversight? | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Measure design
The measure authorized the Office of Police Oversight to investigate anonymous complaints, gather evidence and directly interview witnesses, and conduct a preliminary investigation of every complaint and determine whether a full investigation is warranted. Under the measure, the Office of Police Oversight has the ability to analyze all force incident data and conduct random audits of body camera video.[1]
This measure was designed to provide that the Office of Police Oversight is considered the central depository for documentation relevant to the provisions within the amendment and that the office would make the information provided to them available to the public, including complaint outcomes; officer discipline; force incidents; and lawsuits against the City that allege officer misconduct, including the filings and the final settlement amount of any such suits.[1]
The Office of Police Oversight determines training requirements for members of the Community Police Review Commission and receives briefings related to investigations conducted by Community Police Review commissioners. Under this measure, the Director of the Office of Police Oversight is authorized to omit highly personal information that could lead to an individual's unwarranted invasion of privacy. The Director of the Office of Police Oversight has access to relevant records and personnel concerning the use of force incidents, records and personnel concerning any police misconduct investigation, databases of force incident reports, video records of body-worn cameras and police officer dash cameras, and publicly releases summaries of all complaint outcomes, recommendations that discipline be issued, and detailed information about incidents where the Office recommends discipline, including the name of the officer, audit findings, data analysis, and recommendations for policy, training or legislative changes.[1]
This measure was designed to establish the Community Police Review Commission, which reviews investigations of police misconduct, recommends to the police chief discipline that should be issued, advises on the effectiveness of the department’s policies regarding complaints of police misconduct, and addresses other areas of public concern. There is a requirement for the police chief to provide a written response to all Office of Police Oversight reports and Community Police Review Commission proposals, as well as disciplinary recommendations.[1]
Under this measure, the city of Austin will not maintain a classified police department personnel file related to conduct by police officers.[1]
Under this measure, the city council cannot approve contracts or agreements concerning the employment of a police officer if contracts allow police officers to file grievances based on the policies laid out in the amendment.[1]
Sponsor
Equity Action was the committee registered in support of this ballot initiative.[2]
Arguments
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a successful citizen petition by the Equity Action PAC. The initiative was certified for the ballot on September 7, 2022.[1]
How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Texas
See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Texas.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 AustinTexas.gov, "Proposition A," accessed February 23, 2023
- ↑ Equity Action, "Homepage," accessed February 23, 2023
- ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "Who, What, Where, When, How," accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Request for Voter Registration Applications,” accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Voter Registration,” accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed July 28, 2024
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Request for Voter Registration Applications," accessed July 28, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Texas Constitution and Statutes, “Election Code,” accessed February 23, 2023
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, “Texas officials flag tens of thousands of voters for citizenship checks,” January 25, 2019
- ↑ The New York Times, “Federal Judge Halts ‘Ham-Handed’ Texas Voter Purge,” February 28, 2019
- ↑ The New York Times, “Texas Ends Review That Questioned Citizenship of Almost 100,000 Voters,” April 26, 2019
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Secretary Whitley Announces Settlement In Litigation On Voter Registration List Maintenance Activity,” April 26, 2019
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Texas Secretary of State, "Required Identification for Voting in Person," accessed February 27, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
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