Dallas City Council discusses State Fair of Texas' gun ban amid lawsuit threat
DALLAS – The Dallas City Council met in closed session Wednesday to discuss the State Fair of Texas' new gun policy following a threat of legal action from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Paxton issued a notice to the City of Dallas last week saying that the fair's policy violates state law permitting licensed gun owners to carry firearms on government-owned or leased properties. The city owns Fair Park, where the state fair is held.
The fair's policy — which comes after 23-year-old Cameron Turner opened fire and injured three people at the fair last year — "prohibits fairgoers from carrying all firearms, knives with blades over 5.5 inches long, clubs, explosive devices, ammunition, chemical dispensing devices, replicas or hoaxes, or weapons of any kind," according to the fair's website.
The ban extends to concealed and open carry of firearms anywhere on the fairgrounds, including Cotton Bowl Stadium, but does not include "elected, appointed, or employed peace officers."
In his notice, Paxton said the policy infringes on the Second Amendment rights of licensed carry holders, and he gave the City of Dallas a 15-day deadline to amend it.
"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," said Paxton. "The State Fair of Texas's recent policy that infringes on LTC holders' Second Amendment rights is unlawful. Dallas has fifteen days to fix the issue, otherwise, I will see them in court."
The policy has also faced significant opposition from lawmakers, with 70 state legislators — including Texas State Rep. Frederick Frazier of McKinney — signing a letter accusing the ban of undermining public safety.
"We want to make sure we are standing up for the folks that are going out there and getting these licenses and making sure they are able to take on that challenge if something does arise," said Frazier.
Despite the backlash and legal threats, the State Fair has maintained its stance, asserting last Tuesday that no changes would be made to the policy.