Texas bill would prevent State Fair of Texas from prohibiting firearms
The Brief
Texas Senate bill 1065 aims to keep the State Fair of Texas from imposing a firearms ban.
If passed, the bill would allow license-to-carry holders to bring firearms to the Fair and other places where a contractor leases government property.
Last year, in response to the 2023 shooting, the Fair said nobody could bring a firearm, unless they were current or retired law enforcement members.
DALLAS - State senators heard testimony on a bill that could ban events like the State Fair of Texas from prohibiting firearms.
Texas Senate Bill 1065 aims to keep the State Fair of Texas from imposing a firearms ban.
The bill went before the Senate Committee on State Affairs on Thursday morning.
If passed, the bill would allow license-to-carry holders to bring firearms to the Fair and other places where a contractor leases government property.
The State Fair leases Fair Park from the city of Dallas.
The bill is in its early stages, but the debate has been ongoing. It was introduced by Republican Senator Bob Hall, who represents parts of North Texas outside of Dallas.
What they're saying
License to Carry instructor, Gary Zimmerman, believes the problem isn't just the right to carry at the State Fair, but rather the protection needed to get there.
"The Texas State Fair is in a high crime rate area of Dallas and the problem isn't the State Fair, because there's 500-plus police officers there, it's getting to and from there," said Zimmerman. "Where are you going to put your gun? In the car. Where's the number one place where criminals obtain guns? It's from stealing them from cars, it's not from buying them, they steal them from cars."
Executive Director of the Texas State Rifle Association, John Poole, did not approve of the State Fair changing its gun policy after a shooting in 2023.
"The knee-jerk reaction by the State Fair was a policy change that not only banned all weapons, but it banned the very people that you want to carry a handgun," said Poole.
The other side
Opponents of the bill believe it would undermine the ability of the State Fair and other organizations leasing government property to keep events safe.
Sarah West, a volunteer for Moms Demand Action, an organization fighting for more public safety measures that protect people from gun violence, said during Thursday's hearing that Senate Bill 1065 strips event organizers of the flexibility needed to make public events safe.
"SB 1065 imposes a one-size-fits-all gun mandate on settings as varied as public streets, the Houston Zoo, and public universities. It strips event organizers of the flexibility they need to make site-specific safety decisions," said West.
FOX 4 reached out to the State Fair of Texas for comment on SB 1065 and received the following reply:
"Yes, the State Fair of Texas is aware of Senate Bill 1065. The State Fair takes no political position on gun rights issues and in fact, has long been, and continues to be, a strong supporter of the rights of responsible gun owning Texans. Our decision to change our policy regarding the admission of license-to-carry (LTC) holders with their handguns was in no way meant to be a political statement. It was merely an attempt to 1) make the Fair safer for everyone; 2) follow best practices of similar Texas events; and 3) eliminate confusion related to areas of the fairgrounds where firearms are prohibited by law.It has been suggested that our new policy makes the State Fair a "gun free" zone and therefore less safe than before. We disagree with this suggestion. The State Fair has adopted a similar policy to that of most all similar events in Texas, such as athletic competitions, concerts, and other fairs and festivals throughout the state."
Dig deeper
In 2023, a shooting inside the food court on the fairgrounds injured three people. At the time, the Fair allowed attendees with valid handgun licenses to carry their weapon if it was concealed. The suspect did not have a gun license.
Last year, in response to the 2023 shooting, the Fair said nobody could bring a firearm, unless they were current or retired law enforcement members.
Last fall, the Texas Supreme Court denied Attorney General Ken Paxton's emergency filing which sought to overturn the State Fair's gun ban.
What's next
It's unclear if Senate Bill 1065 has the support needed to become law.
The bill is left pending at this time, so no action has been taken.
The Source
Information in this article comes from a hearing of the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee, the State Fair of Texas and past FOX 4 coverage.
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