close
close

Fairgoers join Ken Paxton in suing the Texas State Fair for allegedly violating their gun rights

Fairgoers join Ken Paxton in suing the Texas State Fair for allegedly violating their gun rights

Sign up for The BriefThe Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter, keeping readers up to date on Texas’ most important news.


Three trade fair visitors have joined Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the lawsuit against the State Fair of Texas and the city of Dallas over the fair’s policy of banning all firearms on its properties.

Monday’s filing is the latest maneuver by Paxton in an ongoing battle over the State Fair and its gun ban. In September, one day before the event begins, The Texas Supreme Court rejected this Paxton’s motion to rescind the policy – saying it doesn’t matter “to decide whether the State Fair made a wise decision” – is upheld a Dallas District Court judge allowed The gun ban remains in place.

Paxton filed the update with the names of the newest plaintiffs in his ongoing case in Dallas District Court, which is expected to have another hearing next year.

In it, Paxton accuses state fair and city officials of violating state laws that prohibit most government agencies from banning guns on their properties. Paxton also says the officers violated the constitutional right to bear arms of fairgoers Maxx Juusola, Tracy Martin and Alan Crider. They are seeking up to $1 million in civil damages and allowing people to carry guns on the fairgrounds.

According to the Supreme Court ruling Paxton said in a press release that he would continue to push the issue “to preserve Texans’ ability to defend themselves.”

Dallas owns Fair Park, where the 24-day event is held annually, but State Fair of Texas, a nonprofit organization, operates the park and various municipal buildings and walkways within the property 25 year contract between the two entities. One week before the hearing in Dallas District Court, Paxton retracted an eight-year-old legal opinion This allowed private nonprofits to ban guns on property they leased from a city.

Paxton further argues that because Dallas owns Fair Park, the nonprofit’s policy change violates state laws that allow licensed gun owners to carry guns in locations owned or leased by government entities unless otherwise permitted prohibited by state law. according to Paxton’s lawsuit. Texas law requires schools and courtrooms to be considered gun-free zones and allows others, such as amusement parks or educational institutions, to impose their own firearms bans.

In his letter to the interim city manager Over the summer, Paxton acknowledged that some buildings on the Fair Park property, such as the Cotton Bowl and other buildings used for school events, are areas where weapons are prohibited by law.

“However, all, or the vast majority, of Dallas’ 277-acre Fair Park is not a place where weapons are prohibited,” Paxton wrote.

The city of Dallas disputed Paxton’s allegations, saying city officials were not involved in the State Fair’s decision to enforce a gun ban.

“The State Fair of Texas is a private event operated and controlled by a private, nonprofit organization and not the city,” a Dallas spokesperson said in a statement.

Fair officials claim they can enforce a gun ban as a private nonprofit organization.