The decision to tighten gun restrictions at the State Fair follows an incident last year where a man shot three people at the event.
The new policy was announced on August 8, sparking immediate controversy. Paxton’s lawsuit was filed two weeks after he issued a letter to Dallas interim city manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, threatening legal action unless the city intervened to overturn the fair’s decision.
Despite the attorney general’s claims, Dallas city officials have distanced themselves from the State Fair’s decision, in a statement on Thursday emphasizing that the city had no involvement in shaping the fair’s policies.
“The City was not involved in the State Fair of Texas’ announcement of its enhanced weapons policy. The State Fair of Texas is a private event operated and controlled by a private, non-profit entity and not the City,” the statement read. The city of Dallas also expressed its disagreement with the allegations brought against it in the lawsuit.
Historical Overview
Organizers of the State Fair of Texas have pointed out that similar firearm restrictions are in place at other large annual events across the state, such as the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the San Antonio Livestock Show, and Rodeo Austin.
