She cites a 2016 opinion from Paxton’s office that acknowledges private entities, like nonprofits, can prohibit firearms on their property even if they lease land from the government.
“If a private entity like a nonprofit is renting land or property from the government and is the only one involved in the decision to prohibit firearms, this AG opinion says they are allowed to do that,” Earp said.
State Fair Safety Team
Karissa Condoianis, a spokesperson for the State Fair of Texas, emphasized that the fair is a private, not-for-profit organization, and therefore, it has the right to set its policies, including the decision to ban firearms. “The State Fair of Texas is — and always has been — a private entity,” Condoianis said. “The fair is not a government entity nor is it controlled by a government entity.”
The fair’s decision to implement the firearm ban was made after consulting with security experts and reviewing policies from other large Texas events.
Condoianis noted that over 200 uniformed and armed officers from the Dallas Police Department, along with State Fair Safety Team members, will be patrolling the fairgrounds to ensure safety.
