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State Rep. Matt Schaefer Presented With Defender of Freedom Award This Week, As Landmark Pro-Second Amendment Bills Become Law

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

State Rep. Matt Schaefer Presented With Defender of Freedom Award This Week, As Landmark Pro-Second Amendment Bills Become Law

NRA-ILA Texas State Director Tara Mica presented State Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler) with NRA’s Defender of Freedom Award this week at the Texas Capitol.  Rep. Schaefer authored and passed House Bill 1927, the landmark Constitutional Carry bill, during the 87th Regular Session.  This is a massive victory for Texas gun owners!

Dear Texas House District 6 NRA Member:

The Texas Legislature passed groundbreaking legislation to restore and protect your Second Amendment rights in the Lone Star State during its 2021 Regular Session.  As NRA-ILA reported to you earlier today, a dozen new pro-Second Amendment bills take effect TODAY -- Wednesday, September 1.

Your State Representative, Matt Schaefer, authored and passed House Bill 1927, NRA-backed constitutional carry legislation, this session.  HB 1927 allows law-abiding adults, age 21 or older, to carry a handgun concealed or unconcealed for personal protection without paying a fee and obtaining a license from the state.  Texas' existing License To Carry law remains on the books so that residents and non-residents may continue to obtain LTCs for purposes of reciprocity and NICS-exemptions ​when purchasing a firearm.  Upon the governor's signature, the new law will take effect on September 1.

Representative Schaefer also authored and passed House Bill 1407, which allows a LTC holder to have a handgun in his or her vehicle that is visible and in a holster, but not on the person – an important clarification, and an extension of legal, safe and practical carry options in one’s car or truck.

Please take a moment to thank Representative Schaefer for his tireless and dedicated efforts on behalf of law-abiding Texans' Second Amendment rights this session, and to congratulate him for receiving the distinguished NRA Defender of Freedom Award.

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Thursday, January 8, 2026

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Ninth Circuit Panel Rules California’s Open Carry Ban is Unconstitutional

Monday, January 5, 2026

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On Friday, Jan. 3, a divided three judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that California’s ban on open carry in counties with a population of greater than 200,000 ...

North Carolina: Update on Permitless Carry

Tuesday, December 16, 2025

North Carolina: Update on Permitless Carry

In September, the North Carolina General Assembly briefly returned from recess and re-referred Senate Bill 50, Freedom to Carry NC, to the House Rules Committee.

Pro-2A Journalist Awarded in New Jersey: Further Proof the Garden State is Savable?

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Monday, January 5, 2026

Pro-2A Journalist Awarded in New Jersey: Further Proof the Garden State is Savable?

It’s rare to see journalists write accurate articles about the Second Amendment and the right to self-defense, and even more rare to see them receive accolades from their mainstream peers for such articles.  

2025 Litigation Update

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

2025 Litigation Update

In 2025, the National Rifle Association defeated New Mexico’s 7-day waiting period for firearm purchases, the ATF’s “engaged in the business” rule, the ATF’s “pistol brace” rule, a lawsuit seeking to ban lead ammunition in ...

More Anti-Gun “Trajectories” and “Experiments” on the Horizon in Illinois for 2026

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Monday, January 5, 2026

More Anti-Gun “Trajectories” and “Experiments” on the Horizon in Illinois for 2026

As a new year begins, a timeless new year resolution remains: Work hard to ensure your state does not become like Illinois. As multiple firearm-related news outlets revisit the highs and lows of 2025, it ...

Sole Remaining Municipal Gun-Industry Lawsuit Grinds to Final Defeat

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Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Sole Remaining Municipal Gun-Industry Lawsuit Grinds to Final Defeat

In 1999, when the rest of the country was fretting over the potential Y2K disruption of worldwide computer systems, the City of Gary, Indiana launched its lawsuit against handgun manufacturers, retailers and a wholesaler, raising ...

U.S. DOJ and 25 States File Amicus Briefs Supporting NRA Challenge to California Ammunition Regulations

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

U.S. DOJ and 25 States File Amicus Briefs Supporting NRA Challenge to California Ammunition Regulations

The U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of 25 states have each filed amicus briefs in Rhode v. Bonta, a case backed by the National Rifle Association and California Rifle and Pistol Association challenging California’s ...

Virginia: Gun Control Looms on the Horizon – Make Plans to Attend Lobby Day in January!

Monday, December 22, 2025

Virginia: Gun Control Looms on the Horizon – Make Plans to Attend Lobby Day in January!

Anti-gun legislators in Richmond have already begun filing legislation ahead of the upcoming Virginia General Assembly session. 

NRA Files Another Lawsuit Challenging the National Firearms Act

Thursday, October 9, 2025

NRA Files Another Lawsuit Challenging the National Firearms Act

Today, the National Rifle Association—along with the American Suppressor Association, Firearms Policy Coalition, and Second Amendment Foundation—announced the filing of another lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA).

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NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.