Well, folks, it’s shaping up to be a showdown in the Lone Star State, and the battleground is as familiar as it is contentious: guns and the Second Amendment. With the Texas Legislature’s 2025 session just around the corner, lawmakers have wasted no time drawing their battle lines. In just the first three days of pre-filing, over 75 gun-related bills hit the docket, and the divide between pro-gun and anti-gun factions couldn’t be starker.
If you’re a fan of the Second Amendment—or, you know, basic freedoms—it’s time to buckle up.
Let’s start with the bad news. A slew of anti-gun measures has been proposed, and they read like a wishlist for gun control advocates. Red-flag laws? Check. Bans on private firearms transfers? Check. Magazine capacity restrictions? You bet. And for good measure, they’re also targeting semi-automatic firearms, campus carry, open carry, and even the state firearms preemption law.
The NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action didn’t mince words, calling these proposals severe enough to “make Biden-Harris and national gun control organizations proud.” And they’re right. These measures aren’t about incremental changes—they’re a full-on assault against the rights of law-abiding Texans.
Imagine living in a state that boasts “Don’t Mess With Texas” as a slogan, only to watch legislators roll out policies that might as well say, “Mess With Texans All You Want, as Long as They’re Gun Owners.”
Fortunately, not all hope is lost. A handful of pro-gun measures aim to preserve the freedoms that Texas is supposed to stand for.
Take House Bill 162, for example, which directly targets those overreaching red-flag laws. These laws are infamous for sidestepping due process, allowing firearms to be confiscated on the flimsiest of accusations. HB 162 would ban state and local entities from enforcing or even recognizing red-flag orders. It also bars these entities from taking federal grants tied to red-flag laws. That’s the kind of Texas stubbornness we need more of.
Then there’s House Bill 644, which tackles a subtle but important issue: liability for business owners. It would provide immunity to businesses that allow licensed concealed carry on their premises. This bill not only encourages businesses to respect gun owners’ rights but also promotes safety by allowing responsible citizens to carry.
And in a move that should make every gun owner smile, House Bill 929 seeks to exempt firearms, ammunition, and accessories from state sales and use tax. While states like California and Colorado slap extra taxes on gun owners to discourage their Second Amendment rights, Texas is saying, “How about a discount instead?”
House Bill 1337 aligns Texas with national concealed carry reciprocity, a move expected under a second Trump administration. It proposes universal recognition of out-of-state carry licenses, simplifying the rules and making Texas even more welcoming to lawful gun owners.
Finally, there’s House Bill 1403, which addresses a subtle but concerning intrusion into privacy. It would prohibit child placement and state agencies from requiring foster parents to disclose the specific types of firearms in their homes. Because, let’s face it, what business does the government have compiling a database of what Texans keep in their gun safes?
The 2025 session officially kicks off on January 14, and the clock is ticking until the March 14 deadline to introduce bills. Make no mistake, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Anti-gun lawmakers are pulling out all the stops to restrict rights, and while pro-gun legislators have introduced some solid measures, they’ll need all the support they can get to fend off this assault.
Texans pride themselves on their independence and self-reliance, but those values are under threat. The anti-gun proposals aren’t just about guns—they’re about control, plain and simple. These bills aim to chip away at the rights and freedoms that define the Lone Star State.
If you’re a Texan who cherishes the Second Amendment, now is the time to speak up. Call your representatives. Write letters. Show up at hearings. Because while Texas has a strong history of standing up for gun rights, history won’t mean much if we let these anti-gun measures creep in under the radar.
The fight for the Second Amendment isn’t just happening in Washington—it’s happening in Austin. And as we’ve seen time and again, the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. Texans, it’s time to saddle up and remind lawmakers what it really means to say, “Don’t Mess With Texas.”
