HOUSTON — Why is the NRA trying to move to Texas?
The National Rifle Association has been around for a while. It was founded in 1871 by two Civil War veterans with the original purpose of promoting marksmanship.
It is so old it was formed at a time when state legislatures passed special acts to create corporations. And that’s what the New York state Legislature did, granting the charter that it still operates under to this day.
Why is all this history important?
Well, because it means the NRA is subject to New York’s laws despite the fact that the organization’s headquarters is in Virginia.
And in 2020, New York’s attorney general filed a lawsuit that would basically dissolve the NRA. She accused NRA’s leadership, mainly CEO Wayne LaPierre, of misusing large amounts of money for personal expenses.
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In the wake of that lawsuit, the organization filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy asking to reincorporate in Texas.
A Dallas area judge rejected that bankruptcy, saying the move appeared to be more about avoiding the New York lawsuit than an actual bankruptcy.
Now parts of that New York lawsuit have been dismissed by a court but the judge did say the AG could still go after NRA leadership, leaving a move to Texas still in limbo.