Texas appeals court upholds ban on firearms at State Fair

An all-Republican Texas appeals court has dismissed Attorney General Ken Paxton's effort to overturn the State Fair of Texas's firearms ban, just weeks before the event resumes in Dallas. The three-judge panel of the 15th Court of Appeals unanimously affirmed a lower court's ruling that the state law restricting local governments from limiting guns does not apply to private organizations like the fair. The opinion noted that the city of Dallas, which owns Fair Park and leases it to the fair operator, does not control the fair's policies.

Paxton's suit argued the ban violated the state statute, but the court rejected that argument. The ban, enacted in 2024 after a shooting that injured three people, has been opposed by dozens of Texas House Republicans who claim it reduces safety. Earlier legal setbacks include a Texas Supreme Court denial of an emergency filing and a district court summary judgment in favor of the city and the fair.