Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Aug. 29 filed a lawsuit against the City of Dallas and the State Fair of Texas over the fair’s new policy that bans the carrying of handguns within the fairgrounds.
The ban includes both concealed and open-carry firearms “anywhere on the fairgrounds.” The updated policy does not apply to elected, appointed, or employed peace officers, the nonprofit organization said.
Paxton argued that Interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert acted “without legal or statutory authority” by allowing the State Fair of Texas to prevent people from bringing handguns to city property.
He requested that the court grant an injunctive relief to block the city or the organization from enforcing the “wrongful exclusion of handguns” at the fairgrounds. Paxton also sought monetary relief of up to $250,000.
“Municipalities cannot nullify state law nor can they avoid accountability by contracting official functions to nominally third parties,” the attorney general said in a statement.
“Neither the City of Dallas nor the State Fair of Texas can infringe on Texans’ right to self-defense.”
The suit stated that the gun ban constituted an infringement on Texans’ legal rights, noting that state legislation allows gun owners to carry firearms on government property unless a prohibition is explicitly stated by law.
The city government of Dallas responded by saying that it disagreed with the allegations, adding that “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,” the city said in a statement.
The policy change was issued after a man opened fire at the fair last year, wounding three people, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The State Fair of Texas did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment by publication time.
