An all-Republican Texas appeals court has delivered another blow to Attorney General 鈥檚 challenge of the State Fair鈥檚 firearms ban, just over a month before the annual weekslong event returns to Dallas.
In his against the city and the private nonprofit that operates the fair, Paxton argued that the policy violated a state law that bars local governments from limiting guns in most public spaces. The event takes place at Fair Park, which the city owns and leases to the fair organizer.
On Thursday, the three justices on the 15th Court of Appeals unanimously a lower court鈥檚 of Paxton鈥檚 argument. In particular, their ruling held that the state law only applies to the conduct of government entities, while nodding at the city鈥檚 consistent position that it has no role in making or overseeing the fair鈥檚 policy.
鈥淚t does not apply to private entities such as the State Fair,鈥� the said.
The attorney general鈥檚 office, the city of Dallas and the State Fair of Texas didn鈥檛 immediately respond to requests for comment.
The fair鈥檚 gun ban began in 2024, a year after a shooting that injured three people at the event.
Dozens of Texas House Republicans quickly pushed back against the policy, saying that it makes the event Paxton then to overturn the restrictions, before a 2016 legal opinion he issued that gave private nonprofits the ability to ban firearms on land they lease from a city.
But Paxton鈥檚 effort has suffered multiple defeats in courts.
In 2024, the Texas Supreme Court his emergency filing to block the fair鈥檚 policy. The following year, a Dallas County district court granted the city of Dallas and the State Fair summary judgment and dismissed the case.
The Dallas Morning News last month that the State Fair is planning to ban guns at this year鈥檚 event.
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