Judge David Hittner blocks Texas effort to enforce drag-show restriction under Senate Bill 12

A federal judge has blocked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton from enforcing a state law that restricted certain public drag performances, according to Fox News. The decision was issued by U.S. District Judge David Hittner, who found that the Texas restriction raised First Amendment concerns tied to free speech and expression, Fox reported.

The court action centered on Texas Senate Bill 12, a Texas law described by the outlet as targeting drag shows. Under the judge’s ruling, Paxton was enjoined from enforcing the restriction against people or venues covered by the statute, according to the reporting.

Fox News said Judge Hittner pointed to what he described as a straightforward solution for those who object to drag performances, suggesting that if lawmakers want to regulate conduct rather than expression, they can pursue an approach consistent with constitutional protections. The outlet did not provide the full legal reasoning in its published summary, and an official text of the order was not included in the available materials.

The order also reflects the broader constitutional limits on government enforcement when speech and expressive conduct are at issue. Federal courts have an obligation to address First Amendment claims, and when laws are challenged, injunctions can pause enforcement while litigation proceeds or while the court resolves the merits.

For Texas, the practical effect is that enforcement actions tied to Senate Bill 12’s drag-related restriction are halted under the scope of the injunction described in the reporting. The case also remains in federal court, meaning additional briefs and filings could follow and the ruling could be challenged through further appellate review, depending on the posture of the litigation.

The reporting did not include a record because the dispute concerns state law and a federal court decision, not federal legislation. An official copy of the order, docket entry, or related filings were not included in the supplied materials, and should be obtained for confirmation of the order’s exact language, scope, and deadlines.