Democrats in California are looking to push new taxes on ammo and guns in the state.
California Assemblyman Marc Levine wrote this legislation, it will place a $25 excise tax on retailers for the sale of every new gun and would include a tax on ammunition for an unknown amount.
In a statement made during a Public Safety Hearing on Tuesday Levine said “Gun violence will not end on its own, we must take responsible action to end the public health crisis that is gun violence in our state, in our nation.”
Many have criticized the tax as a way to punish low-income families and individuals. From Bearing Arms:Â
The bill, in essence, is forcing gun owners to pay for the acts of criminals, while placing an unfair financial burden on lower-income residents. Kim Kardashian’s security team won’t have any problems paying more money for their guns and ammunition, but a working-class mom in Encino will definitely feel the pinch.
Besides targeting working-class and lower-income Californians, the bill will also have the unintended consequence of reducing training and range time for many gun owners. The price of ammunition has already shot up over the past year (when you can find it at all), and adding even more taxes to purchasing ammunition is going to lead to many gun owners keeping ahold of their supply rather than sending rounds down range on a regular basis.
It’s also going to encourage law-breaking, as many bad laws do. As I mentioned earlier, it’s currently illegal for a California resident to drive to Arizona or Nevada to stock up on ammunition, but if ammo prices in California are drastically higher than they are elsewhere, guess what’s going to happen? And once again, it will be working-class and lower-income residents who’ll bear the brunt of any enforcement efforts, because they’ll be the ones most likely to try to save some money by picking up their ammo out-of-state.
