Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing after guns were banned from the Texas State Fair.
Paxton sued the city of Dallas and the State Fair of Texas on Thursday, arguing the organizations had “unlawfully” banned firearms from “government-owned public property in violation of Texas law.”
“Municipalities cannot nullify state law nor can they avoid accountability by contracting official functions to nominally third parties,” said Paxton in a press release. “Neither the City of Dallas nor the State Fair of Texas can infringe on Texans’ right to self-defense.”
Paxton had previously given Dallas 15 days to reverse the policy under threat of legal action.
In the filing, Paxton asked the district court to “enjoin the defendants from acting outside their legal authority by banning guns and by allowing the police to arrest people who violate the illegal ban.”
For more than 130 years, the Texas State Fair has been open annually – typically opening in September and closing in late October. More than 2.3 million people attended the fair in 2023. Dallas contracts with the State Fair of Texas, a nonprofit organization that manages the event.
“As a celebration of Texas heritage, the State Fair aims to embody all aspects of Lone Star culture,” says the State Fair of Texas on its website. “Although much has changed since its humble beginnings as a local fair and exposition, the State Fair of Texas embraces its historical roots and strives to preserve the traditions upon which it was built.”
The fairgrounds span 277 acres in Dallas. Attendees can play games on the midway, eat a variety of deep-fried foods, and go on rides – including the Texas State Ferris wheel.
In addition to the ban on guns and other weapons, the fair set a curfew this year. Minors aged 17 and younger cannot enter after 5 p.m. unless they are accompanied by an adult 21 or older.
This year’s rule changes are a reaction to a shooting at the fairgrounds in 2023. A report of a shooting in 2022 was ultimately ruled to be a false alarm, per The Dallas Morning News.
“Investigators said one man opened fire on another, injuring three people and resulting in police clearing the fairgrounds,” reports NPR. “Videos posted on social media showed groups of people running along sidewalks and climbing barriers as they fled.”
Fair organizers have defended the decision to ban firearms, which they say would “ensure a safe environment and family-friendly atmosphere.”
“Other events like the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, and Rodeo Austin follow similar weapons policies as well,” says the State Fair of Texas.
