The State Fair of Texas recently announced a ban on all guns, including license-to-carry firearms, as previously reported by The Dallas Express; however, Att. Gen. Ken Paxton is threatening legal action against the City of Dallas if the fair does not rescind the new ban.
The ban is in reaction to the evacuation of the 2023 State Fair of Texas due to a shooting incident that left three people injured, as reported by DX.
As millions of people attend the State Fair of Texas, the decision to ban guns at the event seemed like a prudent response. However, this leads to the old response that if the good people are banned from having guns, then the only ones left to harm others are the bad people with guns.
Let’s face it: if someone wants to have a gun and do harm, they will. So why can’t citizens prepare themselves as best they can to respond, if necessary?
Paxton appears to agree.
Paxton has threatened legal action against the City of Dallas unless the State Fair of Texas lifts its new ban on all guns, including license-to-carry firearms.
On Wednesday, Paxton issued a statement calling the ban on carrying licenses “unlawful,” reported WFAA.
Here is more of what WFAA had to report on Paxton’s retort against messing with Big Tex’s rights:
Paxton in a news release Wednesday called the license-to-carry ban “unlawful” and said he’s giving the city 15 days “to fix the issue, otherwise I will see them in court.”
The City of Dallas owns Fair Park and leases the grounds to the State Fair of Texas each year for the fair’s run of three-plus weeks. The fair’s safety plan for 2024 includes the new ban on all guns following a shooting that happened in a food court area of the fair last year. Under the policy, no guns will be allowed on Fair Park property, unless it is carried by someone who is a current or retired peace officer.
After calls from some lawmakers to rescind the policy, fair officials on Tuesday reiterated that the policy would stay intact.
Paxton argued that the gun ban infringes on Texas gun owners’ rights because Fair Park is government-owned property. If the policy isn’t changed, Paxton said, his office will file a lawsuit “to seek injunctive relief and collect civil penalties.”
“Texas law clearly states that license-to-carry holders may not be prevented from carrying a firearm on property owned or leased by the government unless otherwise prevented by state statute,” Paxton said.
Here’s the full letter Paxton sent to Dallas interim City Manager Kim Tolbert.
City officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday morning. Fair officials in a statement said they were aware of Paxton’s letter to the city and said “it appears from the letter that the Attorney General’s Office is seeking clarification” about the city’s relationship with the State Fair of Texas and the fair’s use of Fair Park under the two sides’ lease agreement.
“We have not spoken with the City yet but stand ready to cooperate with them, as needed,” the fair officials said in a statement.
In the letter to the city, Paxton’s office acknowledged that some of the buildings at Fair Park, such as the Cotton Bowl, are locations where weapons are banned under state law due to high school and college football games being held there. But “the vast majority” of Fair Park, Paxton’s office wrote, “is not a place where weapons are prohibited.”