Hey guys, I found yet another reason to get the heck out of California:
Yes, the 11% tax on guns and ammunition is coming, assuming Gavin Newsom signs it. It's already passed both chambers of the California legislature.
California lawmakers on Thursday voted to raise taxes on guns and ammunition and use the money to pay for gun violence prevention programs and security improvements at public schools.
The federal government already taxes the sale of guns and ammunition nationwide. The government gives that money to the states, which spend it on wildlife conservation and hunter safety programs.
California's proposed tax, if it becomes law, would be 11% — matching the highest tax imposed by the federal government on guns.
The tax would be imposed not on the gun or ammunition buyer, but on the seller; and we all know what that means — higher prices on guns, ammunition, and range time. Seriously, that's what California wants. They want to raise the price on guns and ammunition so that you, the average Californian (why haven't you left?), can't afford to buy them. It's clear as day that's what they're doing here; and you mark my words, this won't stop at 11%.
More from the story:
Most states don't have a special tax just for guns. Pennsylvania collects a $3 surcharge on gun sales and uses the money to pay for background checks. Fees in California total more than $37 on gun sales, with most of that money covering the cost of background checks...
The federal tax on guns and ammunition has been in place since 1918 and has survived multiple lawsuits. But things changed last year when the U.S. Supreme Court imposed a new standard for interpreting the nation's gun laws. The new standard relies more on the historical tradition of gun regulation rather than public interests, including safety.
A legislative analysis of the California proposal said it is an "open question" whether a lawsuit challenging the tax would be successful.
Yeah, that's gonna be fun to watch. I can't wait to see the lawsuits pile in.
The tax would take effect on July 1 and would generate about $159 million in revenue annually, according to an estimate from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. The first $75 million of that money would go to the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program. In 2020, the program funded projects targeting young people in gangs, including sports programs, life coaching and tattoo removal.
The next $50 million would go to the State Department of Education to enhance safety at public schools, including physical security improvements, safety assessments, after-school programs for at-risk students and mental and behavioral health services for students, teachers and other school employees.
That estimated $159 million in revenue assumes you're gonna stay your butt in California and watch your freedoms slowly slip away. I suggest the alternative.
And I can guarantee you the lawsuits are already being written by the few brave conservatives still left in the state. Good for them, but I still think they should leave and let the place rot.
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