It’s Tuesday, March 5th. I'm Kyle Sauerhoefer, and here's your local news from the Austin American-Statesman. Our top story is: The threat of jail and life-altering criminal records for Texans caught with small amounts of pot spurred dozens of marijuana proponents to urge state lawmakers to decriminalize pot use. House Bill 63 would decriminalize possession of an ounce or less of marijuana by making it a civil offense, punishable by a $250 fine.