DALLAS — Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the City of Dallas for prohibiting firearms from the State Fair of Texas.
Paxton issued a warning to the city on Aug. 14. “Dallas has fifteen days to fix the issue. Otherwise, I will see them in court," he wrote.
The City of Dallas issued a statement to Spectrum News saying, “The City was not involved in the State Fair of Texas’ announcement of its enhanced weapons policy. The State Fair of Texas is a private event operated and controlled by a private, non-profit entity and not the City.”
According to Paxton, the State Fair of Texas’ policy change at Fair Park contradicts state law, which grants licensed gun owners the right to carry in government-owned locations, unless prohibited otherwise.
Schools and courtrooms in Texas are legally recognized as gun-free zones, with additional establishments having the ability to enforce their own firearm bans.
Paxton is seeking civil penalties, a temporary injunction and permanent injunctive relief because of the exclusion of handguns. In addition, he urged the court to grant injunctive relief, preventing the City of Dallas or the State Fair of Texas from enforcing the prohibition on firearms.
Fair organizers earlier this month announced a ban on guns after a shooting last year on the 277-acre fairgrounds in the heart of Dallas. The move drew swift criticism from Republican state lawmakers, who have proudly expanded gun rights in recent years.
“Municipalities cannot nullify state law nor can they avoid accountability by contracting official functions to nominally third parties,” said Paxton. “Neither the City of Dallas nor the State Fair of Texas can infringe on Texans’ right to self-defense. I warned fifteen days ago that if they did not end their unlawful conduct I would see them in court, and now I will.”
On Friday, the State Fair of Texas supplied Spectrum News 1 with the following statement:
"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 fair, which reopens in September and lasts for nearly a month, dates back to 1886. In addition to a maze of midway games, car shows and the Texas Star Ferris Wheel — one of the tallest in the U.S. — the fairgrounds are also home to the annual college football rivalry between the University of Texas and University of Oklahoma.