"In 2023, Texas Republicans passed, and Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed into law, House Bill 2127, a power grab so sweeping that it's become known among critics and the public as the "Death Star Act." The law essentially outlaws any measure a local government entity passes that isn't explicitly authorized by the state. The law passed several judicial challenges, and now a lawsuit against the City of Dallas, invoking it against 83 ordinances, will test whether it's constitutional, the Texas Tribune reports."
"To cite one example from the suit, filed by three Dallas residents in Denton County District Court on Wednesday: the plaintiffs object to a local ordinance regulating billiard halls, which requires operators to obtain a city license, pay an annual $52-per-table fee, and comply with local moral-character standards. Their argument: "No Texas statute authorizes the City of Dallas to regulate billiard halls.""
"Many of those local laws or regulations include anti-discrimination measures for LGBTQ+ people. In the case of anti-discrimination measures, the suit argues the city exceeded its authority "by adding protected classes not recognized under state law, including sexual orientation and gender identity and expression." Dallas City Code "prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, and businesses open to the public on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression," the suit says, but that's preempte"
House Bill 2127, enacted in 2023 and nicknamed the "Death Star Act," restricts local governments from enacting measures not explicitly authorized by the state. The statute has survived multiple judicial challenges and is now central to litigation targeting 83 Dallas ordinances. Plaintiffs argue the state holds supremacy over local regulation and that Dallas officials exceeded authority or lacked specific statutory authorization. Examples cited include a billiard-hall ordinance requiring licensing and fees, which plaintiffs say lacks state authorization, and local anti-discrimination protections that add classes not recognized under state law. The case will test the balance between state authority and local control.
Read at LGBTQ Nation
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