This weekend’s Saxet Gun Show at the Travis County Exposition Center will likely be the last one at that venue for the foreseeable future.
For the second time in three weeks, the Travis County Commissioners Court heard public comment on the continuation of the Saxet Gun Show contract and declined to extend it.
The promoters say they would like to continue leasing the Expo Center in Northeast Austin, but they balked at the county’s insistence on background checks on all gun sales.
The county added contract language in a potential renewal agreement that requires background checks for every gun transaction during the show, even the 10 to 15 percent of purchases that occur between event goers, not registered dealers. The new contract with Saxet would have run from March 29, 2014 through Jan. 25, 2015.
On Jan. 7, the commissioners had two motions related to Saxet fail without a second. The first brought by Commissioner Gerald Daugherty would have continued the contract with Saxet without the background check requirement. The second motion, brought by County Judge Sam Biscoe, would have broken off negotiations with them entirely. The lack of action was thought to have effectively ended the contract with the promoter.
According to Biscoe, the gun show made it back on the agenda after county commissioners met with Saxet representatives and county attorneys and facilities staff. “The only way for us to give them a formal response from the Commissioners Court is to post the item,” said Biscoe. “So, we‘ve posted it under the consultation with attorney exception to the Open Meetings Act.”
So, with only days before their last contracted show, Saxet promoters appeared before the court hoping to continue the relationship with the county, though without the background check stipulation.
Saxet offered some new language it would be amenable to, adding signs at entry points and explanations of weapon transfer.
Saxet owner Todd Beiter, along with its founder and Beiter’s father-in-law Gus Cargile, spoke in front of the court.
“Gun shows are not a source of crime,” said Beiter. “We’ve helped prevent criminals from entering. We’ve worked with ATF for public education. We have undercover units of different county, state and local agencies that work with us during the shows.”
The promoters’ position is they can’t enforce what isn’t a law.
“No one’s ever told us how they’re going to do one,” said Cargile outside the Commissioners Court. “We can’t enforce that. Guys go to the restroom and swap a gun, how do you enforce it? Everybody that come in, you have to put someone with them? Come on.”
“You’re trying to make me enter a contractual agreement between me and the county,” Beiter added, “where if anybody else does a transaction, they’re not breaking the law by state standards or federal standards, but they’re putting me in violation of a contract.”
“The county wants to legislate by contract,” said Beiter.
But supporters of the background checks urged the commissioners to let the contract lapse.
“We reiterate our strong encouragement of the Commissioners Court on this matter,” said Hillary Rand, Travis County resident and member of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “We respectfully request that you stand strong on this issue and in your conviction to try and reduce gun violence in Travis County via any and all means available to you.”
The commissioners met in executive session to discuss the matter further. Daugherty offered the first motion to renew with Saxet under the old terms.
“I think both sides have a great amount of persuasion,” said Daugherty. “My motion will be to extend the gun show, but it’s not because I think that background checks are necessarily bad things.”
Just as it did two weeks ago, his motion died without a second.
“That leaves us without executed contracts for March through next January as proposed,” said Biscoe as he moved to the next agenda item.
The event provided more than $100,000 dollars in revenue to the county from its last contract.
As for where Saxet turns to put on more gun shows in the Austin area? “Stay tuned,” Beiter said after the public comment.
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Saxet Gun Show: Formerly held at the Travis County Expo Center, the Saxet Gun Show found a new location after the restrictions proposed by Travis County officials proved too much for show organizers.
Travis County Commissioners Court: The legislative body for Travis County. It includes representatives from the four Travis County Precincts, as well as the County Judge. The County Judge serves as the chair of the Court.
