Attorney General Ken Paxton said Wednesday he’ll seek legal action if Dallas does not order the State Fair of Texas to reverse its ban on licensed concealed carry at this year's fair.
The city owns Fair Park, which it leases to the State Fair during the 24-day event. Paxton said in a release the fair's recently announced ban on all firearms at the fair — excluding current and some former peace officers — violates a state law that prohibits banning licensed carry from properties owned or leased by governmental entities.
“The State Fair of Texas’s recent policy that infringes on LTC holders’ Second Amendment rights is unlawful," Paxton said in a statement. "Dallas has fifteen days to fix the issue, otherwise I will see them in court."
If the policy isn't reversed, Paxton's office may seek civil penalties between $1,000 and $1,500 for each day the firearm ban is not lifted, according to the notice issued to Interim Dallas City Manager Kim Tolbert Tuesday.
Neither the city of Dallas nor the State Fair immediately returned a request for comment.
The new policy came almost a year after a gunman injured three people in a shooting at the food court in Fair Park's Tower Building. Police arrested 22-year-old Cameron Turner in connection with the shooting. Court records show his trial is set for October.
State Fair officials say their policy on firearms is legal because the fair itself is a private nonprofit, not a government agency.
Paxton's announcement comes days after the NRA and Republican state lawmakers and nominees called on the State Fair to once again allow licensed carry at the fair. They argue gun-free zones are less safe and present less of a threat to potential attackers.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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