Leroy N. Soetoro
2024-08-15 01:41:45 UTC
https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/14/ken-paxton-texas-state-fair-
dallas/
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton threatened to take legal action
against the city of Dallas if the State Fair does not rescind its recent
policy change to ban firearms at the upcoming event.
Dallas has fifteen days to fix the issue. Otherwise, I will see them in
court, Paxton said in a statement.
In his letter to the city, Paxton said he could seek civil penalties of
between $1,000 and $1,500 per day.
A state fair official told The Texas Tribune they were waiting for
guidance from the city.
We have not spoken with the City yet but stand ready to cooperate with
them, as needed, said spokesperson Karissa Condoianis in an email. Also a
Dallas spokesperson said the city is reviewing the letter from the Texas
Attorney Generals Office and will respond accordingly.
Fair officials and law enforcement announced the policy change last week,
roughly a year after a gunman opened fire at the fair, injuring three
people. The fair also announced it will have cameras at entrances for the
security process and will not provide lockers or bag checks for larger
bags.
Dallas owns Fair Park, where the annual event takes place, but State Fair
of Texas, a nonprofit organization, takes over operations of the park and
various city buildings and walkways within the property during the 24 days
of the annual event, per a 25-year agreement between the two.
Paxton wrote that since Fair Park is owned by Dallas, the nonprofit's
policy change violates state law, which allows licensed gun owners to
carry in places owned or leased by governmental entities, unless otherwise
prohibited by state law. Texas law establishes that schools and courtrooms
are considered gun-free zones and allows others, like amusement parks or
educational institutions, to institute their own bans on firearms.
In his letter to the interim city manager, he acknowledged that some
buildings located on the Fair Park premises, like the Cotton Bowl and
other buildings that are used for scholastic events are areas where guns
are prohibited by state law.
However, the entirety, or vast majority of the 277-acre Fair Park of
Dallas is not a place where weapons are prohibited, he wrote.
The Attorney General's letter comes after several state lawmakers signed a
petition to pressure State Fair officials to rescind the new policy
saying the new policy makes the fair less safe because Gun free zones
are magnets for crime because they present less of a threat to those who
seek to do evil.
Also, the NRA and other gun rights advocacy groups released statements
encouraging the state fair to change its decision.
A similar spat over gun rights happened a few years ago when Texas zoos
wanted to limit firearms on their property.
Fair officials previously said the policy change was a safety measure
related to last years shooting.
Law enforcement arrested 22-year-old Cameron Turner in connection with the
shooting, who they said opened fire at the fairs food court. He was
charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and
one count of unlawfully carrying a weapon in a prohibited place.
The fair runs from Sept. 27 until Oct. 20.
--
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.
Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.
Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.
dallas/
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton threatened to take legal action
against the city of Dallas if the State Fair does not rescind its recent
policy change to ban firearms at the upcoming event.
Dallas has fifteen days to fix the issue. Otherwise, I will see them in
court, Paxton said in a statement.
In his letter to the city, Paxton said he could seek civil penalties of
between $1,000 and $1,500 per day.
A state fair official told The Texas Tribune they were waiting for
guidance from the city.
We have not spoken with the City yet but stand ready to cooperate with
them, as needed, said spokesperson Karissa Condoianis in an email. Also a
Dallas spokesperson said the city is reviewing the letter from the Texas
Attorney Generals Office and will respond accordingly.
Fair officials and law enforcement announced the policy change last week,
roughly a year after a gunman opened fire at the fair, injuring three
people. The fair also announced it will have cameras at entrances for the
security process and will not provide lockers or bag checks for larger
bags.
Dallas owns Fair Park, where the annual event takes place, but State Fair
of Texas, a nonprofit organization, takes over operations of the park and
various city buildings and walkways within the property during the 24 days
of the annual event, per a 25-year agreement between the two.
Paxton wrote that since Fair Park is owned by Dallas, the nonprofit's
policy change violates state law, which allows licensed gun owners to
carry in places owned or leased by governmental entities, unless otherwise
prohibited by state law. Texas law establishes that schools and courtrooms
are considered gun-free zones and allows others, like amusement parks or
educational institutions, to institute their own bans on firearms.
In his letter to the interim city manager, he acknowledged that some
buildings located on the Fair Park premises, like the Cotton Bowl and
other buildings that are used for scholastic events are areas where guns
are prohibited by state law.
However, the entirety, or vast majority of the 277-acre Fair Park of
Dallas is not a place where weapons are prohibited, he wrote.
The Attorney General's letter comes after several state lawmakers signed a
petition to pressure State Fair officials to rescind the new policy
saying the new policy makes the fair less safe because Gun free zones
are magnets for crime because they present less of a threat to those who
seek to do evil.
Also, the NRA and other gun rights advocacy groups released statements
encouraging the state fair to change its decision.
A similar spat over gun rights happened a few years ago when Texas zoos
wanted to limit firearms on their property.
Fair officials previously said the policy change was a safety measure
related to last years shooting.
Law enforcement arrested 22-year-old Cameron Turner in connection with the
shooting, who they said opened fire at the fairs food court. He was
charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and
one count of unlawfully carrying a weapon in a prohibited place.
The fair runs from Sept. 27 until Oct. 20.
--
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.
Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.
Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.