'Excessive' state taxes on guns, ammunition sales are target of new GOP crackdown effort

FIRST ON FOX: Republican lawmakers are pushing to halt states from imposing excise taxes connected weapon and ammunition sales, a condemnation of a measurement California enforced successful 2024. 

In 2023, California became the archetypal authorities to adopt a measurement imposing an excise taxation targeting the weapon industry. The authorities sets an 11% excise taxation connected guns and ammunition income and directs the gross toward weapon relinquishment programs and different weapon power initiatives. 

Colorado is besides poised to enforce a 6.5% excise taxation connected akin purchases successful April. Other states similar Maryland, New York and Massachusetts are considering akin pieces of legislation. 

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But these initiatives magnitude to unconstitutional taxation that undermines the Second Amendment, according to Republican lawmakers.

Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who introduced the Freedom of Unfair Gun Taxes Act to their respective chambers of Congress Thursday, are seeking to barroom states from adopting these measures. 

"Blue states that instrumentality an excessive excise taxation to money weapon power initiatives are exploiting the Second Amendment," Risch said Thursday successful a connection to Fox News Digital. "The Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act ensures states bash not spot a important fiscal load connected law-abiding weapon owners to beforehand their anti-Second Amendment agenda."

Issa said states similar California historically person introduced "extreme" policies targeting weapon owners that jeopardize their Second Amendment rights. 

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"The latest onslaught is California’s imposition of a ‘sin tax’ connected firearms and ammunition," Issa said successful a connection to Fox News Digital. 

Specifically, Issa claimed California’s caller law, which requires weapon sellers to ft the measure for the excise tax, is an "outrageous and unfair load connected law-abiding citizens." 

Excise taxes people circumstantial goods oregon services for manufacturers, consumers oregon retailers. California's caller excise taxation is coupled with the 10% to 11% national excise taxation weapon dealers already wage that goes toward wildlife conservation efforts. 

California Assembly subordinate Jesse Gabriel, a Democrat representing the San Fernando Valley, spearheaded authorities known arsenic the Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act successful 2023 to enforce the excise taxation to rise gross to enactment programs, including the California Violence Intervention and Prevention program. 

The instrumentality besides allocates gross from the excise taxation toward a court-based weapon relinquishment programme that revokes weapon ownership from home abusers and convicted criminals and instrumentality enforcement initiatives focused connected weapon investigations.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed disconnected connected the instrumentality successful September 2023, and it took effect successful July. 

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"It’s shameful that weapon manufacturers are reaping grounds profits astatine the aforesaid clip that weapon unit has go the starring origin of decease for kids successful the United States," Gabriel said successful a connection successful July. "This instrumentality volition make $160 cardinal annually to money captious unit prevention and schoolhouse information programs that volition prevention lives and support communities crossed the State of California."

Co-sponsors of the Senate’s mentation of the Freedom of Unfair Gun Taxes Act see Republican senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Mike Crapo of Idaho, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Steve Daines of Montana, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Jim Justice of West Virginia and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska.  

Republican representatives Richard Hudson of North Carolina and Doug LaMalfa of California besides co-sponsored the House’s mentation of the measure.