Soft on Terrorism, Hard on Guns: Talarico’s Legislative Record Is Scarier Than Halloween

Now that U.S. Senate hopeful James Talarico has returned to Texas’ campaign trail, he should explain his more troubling actions as a Lone Star State lawmaker.

Talarico said nothing about anything when he vanished for 9 days, between virtual remarks to the U.S. Hispanic Business Council on Sept. 30 and an Oct. 9 stroll through the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Talarico claims that he had the flu. However, that hardly explains his total disappearance. Talarico is locked in a high-stakes, surprisingly tight race for a six-year Senate term. Was he too sick to campaign via Zoom or at least phone a drive-time radio show? Not even once? Really?

The hunt for the Red in October included ads—courtesy of Talarico’s Republican rival, state Attorney General Ken Paxton—that lampooned him as a missing person pictured on dairy containers. Townhall columnist Kurt Schlichter dubbed Talarico “the Milk Carton Marxist.”

With Talarico back on the hustings, voters should challenge him on his disturbing record as a Texas state representative.

• SB 1518 created the confidential Terrorist Offender Registration Program, which convicted terrorists must enter after they are released from prison. This law also criminalizes committing terrorism, aiding terrorism, and obstructing the prosecution of terrorism. On May 22, 2023, the state House passed SB 1518, 105-40. Talarico voted No.

• HB 888 prohibits an individual from misrepresenting a child as a family member at a border crossing/port of entry “with intent to commit” human trafficking. This law does not focus on, say, a well-meaning individual who claims that an abandoned little girl is his granddaughter to rescue her from danger. Far more gravely, this statute makes it illegal to falsify a child as a relative “with intent to commit” trafficking, in order, for instance, to sell her into sweatshop servitude or sex slavery. The state Senate passed HB 888, 30-1. The House concurred on May 23, 2019, 100-43. Talarico voted No.

• HB 2366 increases criminal penalties for using fireworks or laser pointers to impede police officers or do anything with those items that “endangers law enforcement.” This law makes it a first-degree felony to employ laser pointers to cause cops serious bodily injury, e.g., eye damage. On April 30, 2021, the House passed HB 2366, 119-12. Talarico was among 12 who voted No.

• SB 1120 enhances the legal rights of victims of protective-order violations, family violence, stalking, and sexual assault. The Senate passed this bill 30-1. The House adopted it on May 23, 2025, 128-7. Talarico was one of just seven who voted No.

• HB 3276 would have required election officials to keep voted ballots under video surveillance until tabulation and provide internet video streams of ballot handling and counting. The bill would have provided implementation grants, and excused from the streaming mandate, those Texas counties with fewer than 100,000 people. The House endorsed HB 3276 on May 11, 2021, 105-38. Talarico voted No. (The bill stalled in the Senate.)

• HB 3 requires armed security at public schools and pays $15,000 per campus plus $10 per student to subsidize this protection. The House approved HB 3 on May 28, 2023, 93-49. Talarico coauthored and successfully amended HB 3, but he voted No on the final conference report.

• HB 3508 would have devolved Texas from a state that “shall issue” handgun permits to qualified applicants to a “may issue” state that could deny permits, even to fully valid applicants. Talarico authored HB 3508 on March 6, 2019, but it languished in committee.

• HB 3506 would have stopped Texas from recognizing out-of-state handgun licenses once licensees became domiciled in Texas. Talarico introduced HB 3506 on March 6, 2019. It floundered in committee.

Texas voters should grill James Talarico on these underreported legislative actions. They should ask him why he worked so hard to make life easy for terrorists and human traffickers and tough for gun owners. Of course, if low-T Talarico gets too many such questions, he might crawl back into hiding. 

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