Texas Rep. Briscoe Cain (R) has filed a bill that, if passed, would make it illegal to prohibit licensed gun owners from carrying firearms on government owned property.
The bill would include contractors using government property for events, like the State Fair of Texas which uses Fair Park, owned by the city of Dallas.
The bill was filed months after Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the city of Dallas and the State Fair of Texas for implementing a gun ban during its 2024 season.
The State Fair of Texas banned firearms from fair grounds after a shooting injured three people in 2023. But the ban prompted a backlash from the National Rifle Association, Republican state lawmakers, and other gun rights advocates.
The Texas Government Code already prevents state agencies and political subdivisions from banning guns on government owned property, unless it’s a protected gun-free zone like a school or courthouse.
However, because the State Fair of Texas is a nonprofit, State Fair officials previously said they were legally permitted to enforce a new firearm policy.
Despite Paxton’s lawsuit, the gun ban stood in place for the duration of last year’s fair.
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