Gun show ban? Ventura County Fair Board to ask lawyers, governor for advice on controversial events

Ventura County Fair Board directors want to talk to lawyers and Gov. Gavin Newsom before deciding whether to ban gun shows at the state-owned fairgrounds.

Directors voted 4-3 Tuesday to schedule a discussion as soon as possible with legal counsel on the liability that could come with ending the controversial gun shows held at the Ventura fairgrounds for more than a decade.

They expressed concerns about litigation threats from Crossroads of the West, the gun show operator that won a $500,000 settlement in a lawsuit over a ban at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego County.

"It behooves us to know what all the facts are so we can do this thing right," Director Dan Long said. He suggested the meeting be held behind closed doors.

Director Mike Bradbury noted that fair board members are appointed by the governor and proposed reaching out to Newsom.

“I think we should also seek the advice of the governor, ask him what he wants his fair board members to do,” Bradbury said. 

The fair board has taken several steps short of a ban in response to mounting pressures from gun control advocates, the gun show operator and its patrons. 

After gun control advocates and the Ventura County Board of Supervisors pushed for a ban in 2018, the board allowed the shows to continue so long as they provided more gun safety education and had all firearms cabled to surfaces. 

Earlier this year, directors voted to allow an October gun show but prohibited the sale of "ghost gun" kits, which enable people to build firearms without serial numbers.

At Tuesday's board meeting, after community members again pushed for a ban, Director M. Cecilia Cuevas said it was time to make a decision.

Standoff:State lawmakers seek to ban gun shows at Ventura County Fairgrounds

"I don't think we need further discussion," said Cuevas, who supports ending the shows. "We've been discussing this for three years."

Directors were cautioned by fairgrounds CEO Barbara Quaid to consider the financial impact of the threatened lawsuit on a fairgrounds recovering from the pandemic that canceled the last two fairs.

State Sen. Monique Limon, D-Santa Barbara, and Assemblymember Steve Bennett, D-Ventura, have announced plans for a state bill prohibiting gun shows at the fairgrounds. Directors discussed the possibility of not taking action until the legislative process is completed.

The strategy may not shield the fair board from liability as intended. Rob Templeton, vice president of Crossroads of the West, said the company would likely sue both the fair board and the state if the proposed bill became law.

Templeton said the Del Mar lawsuit established precedence.

"It’s already been decided whether you can just eliminate gun shows because you don't like gun shows and you can’t," he said.

Crossroads has requested dates for at least three gun shows at the fairgrounds next year. Quaid said no decisions have been made on the requests.

Bradbury made the motion for the board to consult with lawyers but rejected a suggested amendment from Long that would have not allowed any gun shows to be held at the fairgrounds until after the meeting.

"I don't think we should mess with that at all. We may create liability for ourselves," Bradbury said.

Bradbury, Armando Lopez, Leslie Cornejo and Leah Lacayo voted for the motion. Cuevas, Shanté Morgan-Carter and Long voted against it.

On Tuesday, directors also elected current Vice President Lacayo to serve as board president for the next two years. Lopez will serve as vice president.

Cornejo, the board's current president, also announced Director Bonnie Weigel submitted her resignation during a closed session on Tuesday. Weigel, a director for eight years, said she was frustrated because the board was not working as closely as she wanted with community members.

Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com or 805-437-0255.

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