House Bill Would End State Excise Taxes on Guns

I don’t really care what kind of arguments gun control advocates make regarding excise taxes on guns, ammunition, accessories, or literally anything to do with firearms. They can claim it’s just to raise money for whatever. The truth is that they’re trying to discourage people from buying guns in the first place.

In their warped little minds, this probably means that if there are fewer guns bought, then there are fewer violent crimes, but we know that’s simply not true. Criminals steal guns, and there are already enough guns in circulation for them to be able to continue using stolen guns until the end of time. You’re not going to stop them with higher prices.

What it really does is put gun ownership out of reach for millions of poorer Americans, who also happen to live in higher crime neighborhoods. The wealthy can weather the tax easily enough, but the lower you go on the economic scale, the less likely someone is to handle the increased cost.

A House bill, though, seeks to put an end to this particularly elitist stupidity.

Fed up with states taxing gun purchasers in order to try to curb gun ownership, two congressmen and a U.S. senator have introduced a measure to put a stop to such abuse.

U.S. Reps Richard Hudson, R-North Carolina, and Darrell Issa, R-California, along with U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, recently introduced the Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act in order to prohibit states from implementing excise taxes on firearms and ammunition to fund gun control programs.

California has an additional 11% excise tax on guns and ammunition. Colorado recently added an additional 6.5% excise tax for guns, ammo and accessories purchased in that state.

Being from California, Rep. Issa has very strong feelings on anti-gun state governments placing additional taxes on guns and ammunition.

“For too many years, extreme state policies—including from my home state—have targeted our fundamental Second Amendment rights and the American citizens who exercise them,” Rep. Issa said in a news release announcing the legislation. “The latest attack is California’s imposition of a ‘sin tax’ on firearms and ammunition. This outrageous and unfair burden on law-abiding citizens is why Sen. Risch, Rep. Hudson, and I are working to stop this and other attempts to penalize our people and put the price of self-defense out of reach of any American.”

For his part, Sen. Issa said that states piling such taxes on gun owners is exploitation.

He ain’t wrong.

I’ve also maintained that it’s a poll tax, which is blatantly unconstitutional. After all, if you have to pay a special tax and only pay it to exercise your rights as an American, then it’s a poll tax.

Sales tax is different because it applies to all products. It’s not targeting anyone’s right to own a particular product.

So, if this bill passes, excise taxes, at least those imposed at the state level, are a thing of the past.

Unfortunately, as I’ve noted in other posts, while it might make it through the House, it’s going to get jammed up in the Senate if it comes in as a stand-alone bill. The filibuster is alive and well, and while I am less than thrilled that Democrats are making use of it, I liked it find when it kept gun control from passing, so I’m not going to call for it to end.

Unlike some anti-gun voices who decried it and now use it, I’m not a raging hypocrite.

No, what I think should happen is that this gets tucked into some must-pass legislation. Anti-gunners do this all the time, so it would only be justice to do the same thing. Then, should Democrats in the Senate filibuster it, take the approach that they’re blocking the must-pass parts of the legislation. Hammer them with it until they relent.

Sure, the media will try to provide cover, but this is a day and age where the mainstream media isn’t the only source most people rely on.

Thankfully.

Honestly, I’m willing to try just about anything to start seeing some of these pro-gun bills pass, and this is a prime example of one that should become law.