Washington State Democrats: Using Ammo a ‘Privilege’ That Needs to Be Taxed

The 11 percent tax on ammo buyers is just one of the gun control bills Washington State Democrats are advancing this year.

Ammunition in a store in California in a file illustration. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The first month of the Washington Legislature’s 2024 session is ending with a slew of Democrat-backed gun control proposals, including a new measure to tax people who have the “privilege” of using ammunition.

House Bill 2238, sponsored by Democratic state Reps. My-Linh Thai and Liz Berry, would create an 11 percent tax on the retail sale of ammunition across the state in addition to all existing federal, state, and local sale and use taxes, with the exception of sales to governments for the purposes of supplying law enforcement agencies.