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Judge Blocks Key Parts of Texas Senate Bill 4

5/16/2026

28 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Judge David Alan Ezra issued an injunction on May 15, 2026, halting four provisions of Texas Senate Bill 4.
He ruled the provisions conflict with federal law and exceed Texas’s constitutional powers in the ACLU, ACLU of Texas and Texas Civil Rights Project lawsuit.
The injunction came a day before the bill was set to become law.
Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office argued the law mirrors federal policy and protects sovereignty.

History

Historical Context

After the Rehnquist Court’s 5-4 ruling in United States v. Lopez (1995)—the first since 1937 to curb Congress’s Commerce Clause power—federal courts have repeatedly checked state overreach in Texas. On May 15 2026, Judge David Alan Ezra blocked Texas Senate Bill 4 provisions, citing conflict with federal law, echoing the Lopez-era constitutional limits on jurisdiction today.

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Story summary

Judge David Alan Ezra issued an injunction on May 15, 2026, halting four provisions of Texas Senate Bill 4.
He ruled the provisions conflict with federal law and exceed Texas’s constitutional powers in the ACLU, ACLU of Texas and Texas Civil Rights Project lawsuit.
The injunction came a day before the bill was set to become law.
Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office argued the law mirrors federal policy and protects sovereignty.

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