Texas Supreme Court upholds gun ban at State Fair of Texas

The Supreme Court of Texas upheld a ban on guns at the State Fair of Texas in a decision released on Thursday, denying Attorney General Ken Paxton’s August challenge to the ban.

The State Fair announced their new security policy in an August press release after a shooting at the fair last year. The new policy prohibits visitors from carrying firearms anywhere on fair grounds, including inside the Cotton Bowl Stadium, where Texas football will face Oklahoma on Oct. 12. 

“As a private not-for-profit organization, the State Fair of Texas prohibits fairgoers from carrying all firearms,” the State Fair said in the press release. 

Paxton challenged this ban and sued the city of Dallas and the State Fair for prohibiting firearms, arguing the policy violated state law, according to an Aug. 29 press release. 

“Since state law permits gun owners to carry in places owned or leased by government entities unless otherwise statutorily prohibited, the prohibition represented an unlawful infringement on Texans’ legal rights,” the Office of the Attorney General said in the press release.

Both a Dallas district court and the 15th Court of Appeals denied Paxton’s request to challenge the ban, prompting him to appeal once further to the Texas Supreme Court.

“This Court cannot possibly order the State Fair to allow handguns to be carried at this year’s Fair when the party seeking that relief does not even argue that Texas law obligates the Fair to do so,” Justice Jimmy Blacklock said in a concurring opinion to the Texas Supreme Court’s decision to reject Paxton’s injunction. 

The Red River Showdown between Texas and Oklahoma also takes place on fair grounds, drawing many UT students.

“A lot of people, even if they don’t get tickets to the Texas-OU game, will still go with their clubs and spirit orgs to the State Fair,” psychology freshman Delaney Vanderpool said.

Vanderpool said her friends attended the State Fair last year when the shooting occurred, and the firearm ban makes her feel much safer.

“It’s sad that we have to specify (to not) bring your gun to the place that’s going to be super crowded and could be a potential threat,” Vanderpool said. “I do think that it’s valuable and needed in today’s age.”