Courts
A federal judge in Texas ruled Wednesday that key provisions of the National Firearms Act regulating suppressors and short-barreled firearms are unconstitutional. The judge, identified as James Hendrix, found that Congress lost its constitutional basis for the restrictions after eliminating the tax that had originally justified them. The decision could remove permitting and registration requirements for the sale or transfer of suppressors and short-barreled long guns.
The New York Times frames the ruling primarily in terms of gun control, describing the law as one that 'mandated a permitting process' for suppressors and short-barreled firearms, and characterizes the decision as 'weakening' this regulatory regime, without elaborating on the judge's constitutional reasoning.
The Washington Times frames the story around the practical legal effect of the ruling, noting it 'could erase registration requirements for sales or transfer of silencers and short-barreled long guns,' emphasizing the scope and unconstitutionality finding without characterizing the law's origins or the judge's political background.