
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has vowed to continue fighting for Texans’ gun rights after the state Supreme Court upheld a ban on firearms at the State Fair of Texas. Paxton’s office has filed a lawsuit against the city of Dallas and the fair, claiming the ban violates state law by preventing citizens from carrying firearms on government-leased property.
The Texas Supreme Court declined to overturn the ban, which prohibits most fairgoers from carrying firearms during the event. Paxton argues that this ban unlawfully restricts Texans’ ability to defend themselves on public property. “Texans have a right to lawfully carry, and the City of Dallas has no authority to contract their rights away to a private entity,” Paxton said in a statement.
The case will now move to trial in June, where the state will argue that the city and the fair are infringing on the constitutional rights of Texas citizens. Paxton also indicated that he will be working with the Texas Legislature to ensure that state laws more clearly protect gun owners’ rights on public land.
Justice Jimmy Blalock, who wrote the opinion refusing to overturn the ban, criticized the state for not addressing whether the law obligates the fair to allow handguns. This legal ambiguity will likely be a central issue in the upcoming trial.
Paxton has been a staunch defender of Second Amendment rights in Texas and promises to continue his efforts to strike down the State Fair’s firearm restrictions.