DALLAS — A state appeals court rejected Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to block the State Fair of Texas’ gun ban.

What You Need To Know

  • The 15th Court of Appeals, a new state court created to handle business-related cases, ruled on the case Tuesday, allowing the fair to proceed with its gun ban in place when it kicks off on Friday

  • This comes after the Dallas County District Court denied Paxton’s request to block the ban last week

  • Paxton took to X, formerly Twitter, after the decision was announced and said he will “immediately” challenge it in the Texas Supreme Court

  • This legal battle comes after a gunman opened fire at last year’s fair, injuring three people. Fair officials announced the new policy last month and other changes like security cameras at entrances and limits on bag size

The 15th Court of Appeals, a new state court created to handle business-related cases, ruled on the case Tuesday, allowing the fair to proceed with its gun ban in place when it kicks off on Friday. 

This comes after the Dallas County District Court denied Paxton’s request to block the ban last week.  

Paxton took to X, formerly Twitter, after the decision was announced and said he will “immediately” challenge it in the Texas Supreme Court. 

This legal battle comes after a gunman opened fire at last year’s fair, injuring three people. Fair officials announced the new policy last month and other changes like security cameras at entrances and limits on bag size. 

According to the State Fair of Texas website, the gun policy was changed in order to offer a “safe event for all,” and the organization cited other events that have similar policies such as the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo and Rodeo Austin. 

After the gun ban was announced, Paxton sent a letter to Dallas and fair officials threatening a lawsuit if they didn’t “fix the issue.”

Paxton argues that the fair takes place on public property owned by the City of Dallas, so it cannot prohibit weapons under Texas law. He also withdrew an 8-year-old legal opinion that allowed nonprofits to ban firearms on public land that they leased the week before the case was heard in the district court. 

Fair Park is partially owned by Dallas, but the city leased the property to the State Fair in a 25-year agreement, which expires in 2027. Under that agreement, the fair operates the park and its buildings and walkways on the property. 

The City of Dallas argued in its court filings that the State Fair of Texas is a private nonprofit that can ban guns during its event. It also said that city officials were not involved in the decision to enforce a gun ban. 

The State Fair of Texas kicks off on Friday, Sept. 27, and runs for 24 days until Sunday, Oct. 20. 

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