South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined a coalition of 15 states in supporting a Texas-led lawsuit challenging the federal registry for certain firearms and accessories. The lawsuit, filed by a Texas gun owner along with gun rights groups and manufacturers, seeks to have parts of the National Firearms Act (NFA) declared unconstitutional.
“I’ve always fought to protect our 2nd Amendment rights and have repeatedly stood up against government overreach. This case is about both,” said Attorney General Wilson.
The NFA, enacted in 1934, imposed a $200 tax on the manufacture and transfer of specific types of firearms. The Supreme Court previously upheld this tax under Congress’s authority to levy taxes. However, Congress recently passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 4th, which eliminated the tax that formed the constitutional basis for the NFA. Despite this change, registration requirements and restrictions under the NFA remain in effect.
Plaintiffs argue that without the taxing authority, these remaining provisions are now unconstitutional. One plaintiff, a Texas gun owner, objects to providing identifying information to register or purchase short-barreled rifles, shotguns, or silencers as required by the NFA.
In addition to South Carolina and Texas, other states joining the lawsuit include Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
