Texas AG Sues City Of Austin To Compel Compliance Of State's 'Open Carry' Law

AUSTIN, TX -- Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Austin city officials on Thursday to compel the city to comply with the state's "open carry" law enabling licensed gun owners to tote their holstered weapons freely -- including at City Hall, where firearms are currently banned.

Conservative majority lawmakers in Texas aggressively pushed for "open carry," which became law on Jan. 1. Despite its passage, an untold number of businesses have opted out of the law as allowed under the law provided prominent signs are posted alerting gun-carrying patrons not to enter with their weapons.

But others resisting the law over safety concerns have had a difficult time to exercise non-adherence given their fears over unfettered access to guns. For months since the passage of "open carry," City of Austin officials have been at odds with Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott over their preference of not allowing guns inside city council chambers.

Paxton has been vocal in his objections to barring weapons at City Hall, all but telegraphing his intent to sue to force compliance -- a step he made official on Thursday.

“I will always make sure that governments do not trample on the Second Amendment rights of Texans," Paxton said in a prepared statement inserted in a news advisory announcing his lawsuit. "And if they do, we will sue.”

Paxton explained that on July 5, he gave Austin "final notice" to comply with the law. "Today’s lawsuit requires Austin to allow citizens to lawfully carry firearms in Austin City Hall, as the law expressly forces it to do," he said in his statement.

Austin is often described as a "blue dot in a sea of red," a metaphor alerting to its progressive vibe in the middle of a red state. But beyond politics, others have expressed concerns over the state's legislative expressions promoting the 2nd Amendment.

University of Texas at Austin officials have reluctantly agreed to comply with the upcoming "campus carry" companion law taking effect on Aug. 1, after unsuccessful attempts to sidestep the law. Unlike private universities able to opt out, public universities subsisting partly on state money are forced to comply with the law allowing guns on campus, as Paxton has repeatedly demanded of the school.

Ironically, UT Austinplans to re-dedicate a memorial to victims of a sniper who killed 14 people and wounding dozens of others 50 years ago on Aug. 1 -- the very date "campus carry" takes effect. The massacre from the university's iconic clock tower was the nation's first mass shooting on an American university campus.

To see a copy of the lawsuit against the City of Austin, click here.