A California bill that would add another 11 percent in state taxes to firearms and ammunition sold in the state passed its first hurdle in the Legislature April 11.
Committee Chair Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) said the legislation made him proud to be in California.
“If we were in Tennessee, I would be kicked out of the state Legislature right now,” Jones-Sawyer said. “In Tennessee, you can’t even get this far with legislation. We should be really proud of what we’re doing here in California.”
Law enforcement agencies and firearms dealers who take in less than $5,000 in yearly sales would be exempt from the tax.
Under this proposal, the state would establish the “Gun Violence Prevention, Healing, and Recovery Fund” with the generated revenue to fund a variety of gun violence prevention programs.
The fund would allocate $75 million to local organizations dedicated to violence reduction and $3 million to the California Firearm Violence Research Center at the University of California–Davis.
Another $15 million would be given each year to the state Department of Education to fund safety measures, mental health, and behavioral services in schools.
The bill also allocates $2.5 million yearly to gun safety training for firearm and ammunition owners.
Another $12.5 million will be provided each year for a court-based firearm relinquishment program to “ensure the consistent and safe removal of firearms from individuals who become prohibited from owning or possessing firearms and ammunition pursuant to a court order,” including domestic violence restraining orders, among others. The remaining funding would fund state counseling and support services for victims.
Several members of anti-firearms groups opposed the bill at the committee hearing, including Moms Demand Action and Support, Everytown for Gun Safety, the Brady Campaign, and the Giffords Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
“This tax is reasonable and modest,” said Mike McLively, a gun policy expert at the Giffords Center.
Opposition
In opposition, Dan Reid, western regional director of the National Rifle Association, said the proposal would punish gun owners for “exercising a constitutional right” and didn’t think the legislation would survive the expected legal challenge to it.“This tax is punitive in nature,” Reid said. “… This is a matter of public safety and matters of public safety should be borne by the public as a whole.”
Other groups opposing the measure included the California Waterfowl Association, California Deer Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the California Houndsmen for Conservation, Wild Sheep Foundation, and Bowman Hunters.
The Riverside Sheriff’s Association, and deputy sheriff’s associations of Monterrey County, Placer County, and police officer associations of Clairemont, Corona, Pomona, Pales Verdes, Newport Beach, Upland, Burbank, Riverside, Fullerton, and Culver City, were also against it.
The bill now heads to the Assembly’s Revenue and Taxation Committee for its next hearing. If passed, the new tax of 11 Percent of gross receipts for the retail sale of any firearm, firearm part, or ammunition would go into effect July 1, 2024.
