By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
Three private citizens have joined Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his lawsuit against the Texas State Fair and the City of Dallas over the fair’s gun prohibition policy, according to the Texas Tribune.
The amended complaint may be read here.
Named in the amended lawsuit as plaintiffs re Alan Crider, Maxx Juusola and Tracy Martin. All three are concealed carry license holders identified as fairgoers in the lawsuit. They are asking for “up to $1 million in civil damages,” according to the report.
In a September press release, Paxton declared he will “continue to defend Texans’ right to lawfully carry a firearm on land owned or leased by governmental entities following a ruling by the Texas Supreme Court that allows the City of Dallas to assist the State Fair of Texas to enforce a firearms ban while litigation continues.”
The lawsuit alleges state law prohibits such a ban, since the City of Dallas owns the property. Two months ago, the Texas Supreme Court denied Paxton’s request to nullify the gun ban policy.
The San Antonio Current noted that Paxton acknowledged in an Aug. 13 letter to Dallas Interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert that, “our office recognizes that the Cotton Bowl and other buildings or premises located within or on Fair Park that would be used for a high school, collegiate, professional sporting or interscholastic events would be premises where weapons are prohibited. Tex. Penal Code § 46.03(8). However, the entirety, or vast majority of the 277-acre Fair Park in Dallas is not a place where weapons are prohibited under Tex. Penal Code § 46.03.”
The two-page letter warned of a lawsuit if the gun policy was not changed.
Paxton’s lawsuit was filed in the District Court of Dallas County.
According to the Concealed Carry Coalition website, Texas has more than 1.5 million active carry licenses in circulation, approximately 7.4 percent of the population. The Texas license is recognized and honored in 37 states.
