Texas officials sue gun rights activist following complaint

DALLAS (AP) — A Texas county sued a gun-rights activist who has complained that county officials were unlawfully barring firearms from being brought into a public building.

Holcomb has sent letters to more than 75 local governments and other public entities across the state complaining of restrictions placed on license-holders from bringing a firearm into a public arena.

Others have filed complaints with the Texas attorney general's office accusing Austin City Hall, the Dallas Zoo, a nature preserve, a suburban Houston convention center and other places with unlawfully banning firearms.

Lawyers in his office have spent months reviewing state statutes to ensure any restrictions on weapons are lawful, Mathis said, but a mish-mash of laws continue to create confusion in Texas.

The county may be running afoul of state protections against frivolous lawsuits, Anderson said, explaining that rules are in place to prevent litigation that's meant to silence or intimidate critics.