The National Rifle Association and Republican state lawmakers want the State Fair of Texas to reverse a ban on firearms put in place in light of a shooting at the fair last year that injured three people.
The NRA’s lobbying arm urged members and supporters in an email Monday to contact State Fair officials and tell the fair they disagree with the new policy.
“Gun-free zones are not crime-free, so creating new ones doesn’t make Texans any safer," Tara Mica, Texas state director for the NRA, said in a statement to KERA News. "By taking this action to prohibit the lawful carrying of firearms at Fair Park, a publicly-owned property, the Texas State Fair Board may have highlighted an oversight in current law that needs addressing. And if state lawmakers agree, we will work with them to do so next session.”
Fair officials unveiled the policy last week. Under the new rules, all firearms and other weapons are banned from this year's fair, which begins Sept. 27. That now includes licensed concealed carry, which was previously allowed.
The new policy doesn’t apply to current or qualified retired peace officers who are on or off duty. They must verify their credentials with Dallas police at fair entrances during the screening.
State law prohibits state agencies or political subdivisions of the state from putting up signs that say concealed handgun licensees are prohibited from being on government owned or leased property.
The city of Dallas owns Fair Park and leases the property to the State Fair of Texas for the fair’s 24-day run every year.
But fair officials say the ban is allowed under state law because the State Fair of Texas itself is a private nonprofit, not a government agency.
“Our volunteer board of directors, which represents a mix of viewpoints from throughout our community, made this decision regarding weapons at the fair,” said Karissa Condoianis, senior vice president for public relations for the State Fair. "We have long been and continue to be a strong supporter of all rights of responsible gun-owning Texans.”
Zoos across the state were faced with a similar legal dilemma years ago. The law in Texas establishes certain gun-free zones like schools or courtrooms and allows others, like amusement parks or educational institutions, to institute their own bans on firearms.
Zoos, which don’t fit neatly into those categories, faced possible penalties for banning firearms from their grounds, The Texas Tribune reported. After complaints were filed with the Texas Attorney General’s Office about the Fort Worth Zoo’s gun-free policy, the office issued an opinion to the city of Fort Worth in 2016 finding that, because the Fort Worth Zoological Association is a private nonprofit that contracts with the city to run the zoo on government-owned property, it was not illegal to post signs prohibiting firearms.
The NRA's push to reverse the ban comes as Texas Republicans levy similar criticism on the fair. At least 70 Republican state legislators and nominees signed onto a letter to the State Fair’s board of directors asking the board to rescind the policy.
In its letter, the lawmakers cited research from the Crime Prevention Research Center that argued the FBI has undercounted the number of cases in which non-law enforcement individuals have been able to stop active shooters. The fair’s gun ban could lead to legislation in next year’s legislative session that would “further protect these rights on lands managed by the public,” the letter states.
“Law-abiding citizens in the United States use firearms daily to defend themselves against criminals,” the letter reads. “Recent tragedies have demonstrated the sad reality that you can die while waiting on law enforcement to save your life — (t)hose who choose to assume responsibility for their own safety understand this harsh reality.”
This story has been updated with comment from the NRA.
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