TexasCHLforum.com

Attorney General Ken Paxton Files Appeal to Prevent Unlawful State Fair of Texas Firearms Ban From Taking Effect:

https://x.com/TXAG/status/1838308472263447021

TXAG Ken Paxton has filed suit against the City of Dallas and the State Fair:

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the City of Dallas and the State Fair of Texas for unlawfully prohibiting firearms from government-owned public property in violation of Texas law.

Attorney General Paxton asked the court to grant injunctive relief to prevent the City of Dallas or the State Fair of Texas from enforcing the unlawful ban on firearms.

“Municipalities cannot nullify state law nor can they avoid accountability by contracting official functions to nominally third parties,” said Attorney General 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.”


https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/ne ... state-fair

From AG Paxton:
BREAKING: I have sent a notice letter to the City of Dallas directing it to withdraw the statement made by the State Fair of Texas, the organization contracted to run Fair Park during the annual event, that prohibits citizens from lawfully carrying a firearm on the premise. 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. 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.

https://x.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/182370 ... 9jEg&s=19

I was one of several that filed complaints with OAG's office about Ft. Worth Zoo in 2015. Several discussions somewhere here on the forum. My recollection is that OAG ruled that it cannot stop a private business/entity from posting invalid signs and that a license holder would have defense to prosecution as not a violation of 30.05 if carrying on publicly owned property.

That made a lot of us mad back then, as us non lawyers think the plain meaning of the statute is clear that publicly owned property cannot be posted. So a license holder would likely beat the rap, but may take the ride and pay 10s of thousands of dollars in legal fees for doing something perfectly legal.

I have never been as the area around it has been a high crime area for decades. According to fox4 news in the article below the State Fair is a private organization. OK, but I thought it is on publicly owned property? But I don't know. But if I was a regular attendee, I would not go.

Because the State Fair of Texas is a private, not-for-profit organization, it can prohibit firearms within the fairgrounds.


https://www.fox4news.com/news/state-fai ... 00014f732d