Paxton is taking the fight for a statewide gun ban to the Texas Supreme Court

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has upped the ante in a recent lawsuit against the city of Dallas and the Texas State Fair by petitioning the Texas Supreme Court to block the fair's ban on firearms.

Paxton's office continues to argue that the ban unlawfully violates the rights of licensed gun owners in the state.

The attorney general's latest lawsuit came after the State Fair announced its intention to enforce the policy prohibiting people with open carry permits from bringing firearms onto Fair Park grounds during the annual fair.

The ban was issued after a shooting at the 2023 State Fair of Texas that left three injured and prompted an evacuation of the fairgrounds.

As reported by The Dallas ExpressIn August 2024, Paxton warned the city of Dallas and the State Fair that their proposed ban was unlawful. Paxton's office then sent a 15-day notice to the city demanding the ban be lifted and threatening legal action if Dallas did not comply with state law and lift the ban.

After refusing to reconsider the ban, Paxton's office escalated its legal battle and filed a lawsuit to block enforcement of the ban. However, a district court denied his request for a preliminary injunction, prompting him to appeal to the 15th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The appeals court also declined to reach an immediate compromise on the attorney general's problems with the ban, prompting Paxton to send the matter to the state's highest court, the Texas Supreme Court.

“The City of Dallas and the State Fair of Texas cannot override state law by banning firearms. And a government entity cannot give up our rights by moving this policy to a private entity. Texans who are licensed to carry have the right to defend themselves and I will take every step to protect that,” Paxton said in a news release issued Sept. 25.

The State Fair of Texas, which operates under a lease with the city of Dallas, has cited safety concerns and the previous shooting incident as reasons for the ongoing ban.

However, in the latest lawsuit, Paxton argues that such measures undermine state law protecting an individual's right to carry firearms in public places.

In the past, those who had an LTC (License To Carry) card were permitted to carry concealed firearms on the fairgrounds.

According to a recent report, 70 Republican members of the Texas House of Representatives wrote to the State Fair of Texas calling for a reevaluation of the gun ban, according to Fox 4 KDFW.

“Allowing Texans to lawfully exercise their Second Amendment rights increases safety. And that's why I was appalled and really disappointed that the State Fair of Texas took this action to prohibit Texans from exercising their Second Amendment rights on the fairgrounds. If their goal was to maximize security, this actually reduces security. It does the exact opposite of that,” Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Waxahachie) told Fox 4.