El Paso City Council Wants Debate on Drug Decriminalization

Earlier this week, the El Paso, Texas city council passed a resolution with 12 steps the U.S. and Mexican governments might take to quell the violence in Juárez, Mexico, El Paso's sister city just over the border.  Juárez saw 1,600 homicides last year, with 20 more already this year.

But it was the twelfth and final recommendation that brought out El Paso Mayor John Cook's veto pen: The city council unanimously voted to urge both governments to at least study and open debate about the possibility of legalizing narcotics.

It's encouraging that the city council managed to pass the resolution without a dissenting vote.  It's disappointing that in calling for no more than study and discussion, the resolution met only derision and dismissal from the mayor and from El Paso's congressman, Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas).