Attorney General Ken Paxton has made good on his recent warning by suing the City of Dallas for banning firearms at the State Fair of Texas.
Earlier this month, fair organizers announced new safety regulations, including a blanket ban on all firearms, even for licensed carriers. The policy quickly drew backlash from 70 state lawmakers, who penned a letter urging the State Fair to reconsider. In response, fair officials defended the ban, stating it was intended to foster a more family-friendly atmosphere and asserting their rights as a private organization to set their own firearm policies.
Paxton, however, issued a formal warning to the City of Dallas, demanding the policy be reversed. He argued that licensed gun owners have the right to carry firearms in locations owned or leased by governmental entities unless explicitly restricted by state law. Because Fair Park is owned by the City of Dallas and is leased to the fair, he gave the city 15 days to comply.
With the policy still in place after the deadline, Paxton has filed a lawsuit against the city and the State Fair of Texas.
“Municipalities cannot nullify state law, nor can they shirk accountability by outsourcing official functions to third parties,” Paxton stated. “The City of Dallas and the State Fair of Texas cannot infringe upon Texans’ right to self-defense. I warned them fifteen days ago to end their unlawful conduct, and now, we’re going to court.”
A spokesperson for the State Fair of Texas told Texas Scorecard , “The State Fair of Texas will continue to prioritize providing a safe and secure environment for our millions of fairgoers, as well as our staff, vendors, and volunteers. As a private, not-for-profit organization leasing Fair Park for our annual State Fair, we believe we have the right to make this decision and maintain that it is the correct decision to protect the safety of our patrons. Due to pending litigation, we will make no further comments at this time.”
The State Fair is scheduled to run from Friday, September 27 through Sunday, October 20.
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