Federal judge strikes down Texas drag ban a second time

U.S. District Judge David Hittner struck down Texas Senate Bill 12 for the second time on 25 August 2026, ruling the drag performance ban "facially overbroad" and "unconstitutionally vague" on First Amendment grounds. The 5th Circuit had unblocked the 2023 law in 2025. Violators faced up to a year in jail; businesses, $10,000 fines per violation. Hittner first ruled the law unconstitutional in September 2023.