State’s Attorney General Sues County Over Gun Ban

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against a Houston-area county that has banned guns from being brought into the county courthouse.

Paxton filed the suit Tuesday against Waller County, just a month after he sued the city of Austin over a gun ban at city hall.

The latest suit seeks a fine of $1,500 for each day the county doesn't allow licensed gun owners to carry weapons in the courthouse.

Texas law prohibits guns from being brought into courtrooms and related offices, but Paxton argues firearms can't be uniformly prohibited from an entire courthouse complex.

County officials took the unusual step last month of suing a gun rights advocate who had complained about the gun ban at the courthouse. They say they're seeking a ruling that clarifies state law.