Appeals Court Rejects Bid to Block State Fair of Texas Gun Ban

An attempt to block the State Fair of Texas’s ban on guns has been rejected by the Texas 15th Court of Appeals. On September 24, 2024, a panel of three justices — Scott Brister, Scott Field, and April Farris — reviewed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s emergency motion and filings from both sides before ruling in favor of the defendants, which include the State Fair of Texas and the City of Dallas. The court did not provide an explanation for its decision.

Paxton expressed his dissatisfaction with the ruling on social media, stating, “The City of Dallas and the State Fair of Texas cannot nullify state law by banning firearms. I will challenge this decision immediately in the Texas Supreme Court.”

The ruling follows a Dallas County judge’s decision on September 19 to deny Paxton’s request for a temporary injunction. Paxton had argued that Texas law prohibits cities, including Dallas, from enacting measures that could suggest an individual licensed to carry a gun cannot do so on municipal property.

However, lawyers representing the State Fair and Dallas officials argued that under state law, property owners have the authority to set rules of conduct, including banning firearms, for anyone entering the premises. The State Fair leases Fair Park from the City of Dallas during the event and claims exclusive control over the property for the fair’s duration.

The battle over gun rights at the State Fair of Texas is far from over, as Paxton has vowed to take the case to the Texas Supreme Court.