State Fair Bill Passes Senate
2025 is the 89th Legislative Session for the State of Texas. It is also the 44th year for the Texas State Rifle Association’s Political Action Committee. While TSRA was formed in 1919, the TSRA PAC began in 1981 out of a need to further emphasize the political work being done by TSRA. The PAC Legislative Team put boots on the ground in the world of Texas politics and allowed us to have 24/7 insight into what needs to be supported or defended against for the rights of law-abiding Texans.
This work is made possible by the generous contributions of like-minded individuals, and the contributions and work have repeatedly paid off. The list of accomplishments made by or with the TSRA PAC is growing, and as of last night, we can add the movement of Senate Bill 1065 to that list.
The TSRA PAC Legislative Team has been following this issue since last summer, both within the Legislative Session and outside of it. A court case was filed in Dallas County, and our Legislative Team has spent countless hours reviewing the court documents and researching the case to monitor for a ruling. We are continuing to monitor this case as a trial is scheduled for June, and a Motion for Summary Judgment filed and heard in February remains pending, presumably while the court monitors the outcome of the session. The work done by the TSRA Team on the State Fair at the State level has included testimony on SB 1065, and more. TSRA Executive Director, John Poole, was among those who testified in favor of the bill. All efforts have resulted in a win for 2A supporters.
Senate Bill 1065 by Senator Bob Hall (R-Edgewood) passed the Texas Senate with a 20-11 vote!
Last year, a loophole in Texas law allowed the State Fair of Texas to make an unconstitutional move: they introduced a ban on all firearms at the 2024 State Fair, including those carried by License to Carry holders. The ban prevented them from the entire premises of the fair, which is a property owned by the City of Dallas. The loophole highlighted by this action is that private entities that lease public property can create gun-free zones.
But, as Senator Hall said in the Texas Senate Session last night, “Mass shootings and school shootings all occur in gun-free zones.” Gun-free zones have been shown to make the public less safe: 82% of mass public shootings since 1998, and 94% since 1950, have occurred in places where guns are banned.
The passage of SB 1065 from the Senate does not put this bill into law. The bill will move through the Texas House next. We are looking forward to continuing our support on this measure. With legislative deadlines approaching fast for House bills in the House chamber, we are looking at Senate bills as the likely vehicles if TSRA Pro-Second Amendment issue priorities are going to pass this session. The Texas House advanced several of those measures over the last week.
The House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans’ Affairs Committee reported out Senate Bill 706 by Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) and Rep. Carrie Isaac (R-Dripping Springs), requiring Texas to universally recognize all valid out-of-state carry licenses, and Senate Bill 1596 by Senator Brent Hagenbuch (R-Denton) and Rep. Richard Hayes (R-Denton), repealing criminalization of the manufacture, possession, and sale of short-barreled firearms at the state level. (Note that these items would still be regulated under the National Firearms Act on the federal level).
“There is a concerted effort to remove SBR’s, SBS’s, and suppressors from the NFA,” said Jeff Folloder, TSRA First Vice President and TSRA National Firearms Act Director. “If that does happen, we need to have that language stripped from Texas code so that Texans do not become instant criminals for possession.”
These bills now go to the House Calendars Committee, which will determine if and when these measures are considered by the full House. Your TSRA Legislative Team is working hard to ensure that these bills receive final consideration by the House; we will notify you when they are scheduled for a vote by your State Representatives!
Information on this bill and other legislative activity is made available to TSRA Members through the TSRA PAC Legislative Team. The round-the-clock efforts of the PAC Team are funded through the generous contributions of like-minded individuals and businesses. If you have not already contributed to the efforts to preserve the rights of law-abiding Texans, please visit TSRAPAC.com today to make a contribution.
This work is made possible by the generous contributions of like-minded individuals, and the contributions and work have repeatedly paid off. The list of accomplishments made by or with the TSRA PAC is growing, and as of last night, we can add the movement of Senate Bill 1065 to that list.
The TSRA PAC Legislative Team has been following this issue since last summer, both within the Legislative Session and outside of it. A court case was filed in Dallas County, and our Legislative Team has spent countless hours reviewing the court documents and researching the case to monitor for a ruling. We are continuing to monitor this case as a trial is scheduled for June, and a Motion for Summary Judgment filed and heard in February remains pending, presumably while the court monitors the outcome of the session. The work done by the TSRA Team on the State Fair at the State level has included testimony on SB 1065, and more. TSRA Executive Director, John Poole, was among those who testified in favor of the bill. All efforts have resulted in a win for 2A supporters.
Senate Bill 1065 by Senator Bob Hall (R-Edgewood) passed the Texas Senate with a 20-11 vote!
Last year, a loophole in Texas law allowed the State Fair of Texas to make an unconstitutional move: they introduced a ban on all firearms at the 2024 State Fair, including those carried by License to Carry holders. The ban prevented them from the entire premises of the fair, which is a property owned by the City of Dallas. The loophole highlighted by this action is that private entities that lease public property can create gun-free zones.
But, as Senator Hall said in the Texas Senate Session last night, “Mass shootings and school shootings all occur in gun-free zones.” Gun-free zones have been shown to make the public less safe: 82% of mass public shootings since 1998, and 94% since 1950, have occurred in places where guns are banned.
We thank Senator Hall and his staff for their hard work on this measure,
and we appreciate Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick's leadership on TSRA-supported bills this session!
and we appreciate Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick's leadership on TSRA-supported bills this session!
The House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans’ Affairs Committee reported out Senate Bill 706 by Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) and Rep. Carrie Isaac (R-Dripping Springs), requiring Texas to universally recognize all valid out-of-state carry licenses, and Senate Bill 1596 by Senator Brent Hagenbuch (R-Denton) and Rep. Richard Hayes (R-Denton), repealing criminalization of the manufacture, possession, and sale of short-barreled firearms at the state level. (Note that these items would still be regulated under the National Firearms Act on the federal level).
“There is a concerted effort to remove SBR’s, SBS’s, and suppressors from the NFA,” said Jeff Folloder, TSRA First Vice President and TSRA National Firearms Act Director. “If that does happen, we need to have that language stripped from Texas code so that Texans do not become instant criminals for possession.”
These bills now go to the House Calendars Committee, which will determine if and when these measures are considered by the full House. Your TSRA Legislative Team is working hard to ensure that these bills receive final consideration by the House; we will notify you when they are scheduled for a vote by your State Representatives!
Information on this bill and other legislative activity is made available to TSRA Members through the TSRA PAC Legislative Team. The round-the-clock efforts of the PAC Team are funded through the generous contributions of like-minded individuals and businesses. If you have not already contributed to the efforts to preserve the rights of law-abiding Texans, please visit TSRAPAC.com today to make a contribution.
Story by Marissa Brinkman
May 1, 2025
May 1, 2025