Democrats in Texas introduced 23 bills to restrict the right to bear arms

After their victory in the midterm elections in the United States, Democratic legislators from Texas introduced a series of concerning bills to restrict gun ownership and access to firearms throughout the state and advance the disarmament of the civilian population.

Since the start of the early bill submission period on November 9, 23 proposals related to gun control have been submitted, of which all but one were introduced in the state House of Representatives.

The legislative push raises concerns among defenders of the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution, which protects the right of citizens to own and carry firearms.

The initiatives include measures that have already been implemented in other states and could change the current conditions for gun owners in Texas.

The authoritarian projects of the Democrats

One of the bills that has raised the most questions is HB 218, introduced by Democratic Representative Ann Johnson from Houston.

The proposal seeks to establish so-called extreme risk protection orders, known as red flag laws, which would allow a judge to temporarily remove firearms from a person deemed supposedly "dangerous".

This bill enables the confiscation of firearms from individuals who have not been convicted or accused of committing crimes, raising questions about due process guarantees. In 2025, Governor Greg Abbott enacted a law that banned red flag orders in Texas.

Another part of the initiatives directly aims to limit youth access to firearms. Democratic Senator Judith Zaffirini introduced bill SB 80, which would make it a felony for individuals under 21 to purchase certain firearms.

In the House of Representatives, broader proposals also emerged. Legislator Joe Moody pushed for HB 173, which would penalize the transfer of most semiautomatic rifles to individuals under 21. Meanwhile, Suleman Lalani introduced HB 606, which would directly prevent that age group from purchasing any firearms.

The people's response

The authoritarian initiatives were criticized by Chris McNutt, president of Texas Gun Rights, who condemned the direction of the bills and pointed out the electoral promises of the Democrats.

“The Democrats campaigned promising affordable prices. Instead, on the first day, they proposed gun confiscation: red flag orders without hearings, universal background checks, bans on firearms for those under 21, and a registry. Twenty-three gun control bills made it to the agenda on the first day, and Texas Gun Rights will fight against each one of them. No confiscation, no registry, no concessions,” he stated to The Texan.

McNutt also questioned HB 659, which would require reporting to the Texas Department of Public Safety about certain purchase operations involving more than two firearms.

“The HB 659 bill is practically identical to the one James Talarico introduced when he was a member of the Texas House of Representatives, and it remains just as dangerous,” he asserted. He added, “It is a gun registry, and registration is the first step towards confiscation. Texas Gun Rights will fight against it until it is repealed.”

Despite the progress of the proposals in the House of Representatives, the Republicans maintain control of the state Senate. For that reason, it is still unclear whether the bills will secure the necessary votes to advance and become law.

Republican Senator Charles Schwertner made his position clear on election night: “Texas will stand firm as long as the Republican Senate caucus stands firm. We will do it.”