AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a temporary restraining order that prevents a new federal firearms law from taking effect.
The law would have required background checks for all gun sales, but Paxton and Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach – along with the states of Louisiana, Missouri and Utah – sued the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, claiming that the restrictions violate the constitutional rights of citizens.
In April, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms published updated rules on private gun sales as a result of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, broadening the definition of when a person is "engaged in the business" as a dealer in firearms.
The Biden administration, in the initial announcement of the rules changes, said it was an attempt to "stem the flow of illegally acquired firearms into our communities and hold accountable those who supply the firearms used in crime."
The administration specifically cited the mass shooting in Midland-Odessa in 2019 where the gunman, who was denied gun purchases from licensed dealers because of his mental health history, eventually purchased a weapon online.
The law has been put on hold until June 2, in order for hearings to be held.