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AB 18- CRPA Moves To Oppose Unlawful Taxation of Gun Owners

January 21, 2020

Unlawful Taxation of Firearm Owners!

They are at it again! Assembly Bill 18, by Levine, has risen again from the 2019 session. If enacted, AB 18 will impose an additional excise tax of $25 per new handgun, semiautomatic rifle, or shotgun sold and a yet to be determined excise tax on the gross receipts from any sale of ammunition. AB 18 would require the revenue generated by this tax to be used to fund grants through the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program (CalVIP) program which supports local and community-based violence intervention and prevention efforts.

CRPA stands with law enforcement throughout California and puts the safety of our communities and schools first, however taxing law-abiding citizens for the actions of less than fraction of criminals, who by their nature are not law-abiding gun owners and account for less than a fraction of one percent of the population is not acceptable.

Firearms and ammunition sales already bring millions of dollars of sales tax into California’s state budget each year. Additionally, an average of $40 million dollars is made available for conservation and education efforts in California each year from an 11% federal excise tax imposed on the sale of sporting arms and ammunition (Pitman Robertson Act). Furthermore, the proposed tax, which clearly impedes constitutionally protected activity, raises serious legal questions as to whether funds raised in this manner can be spent on this kind of policy.

CRPA will continue to support sound legislation aimed at reducing crime and getting criminals off our streets and out of our communities. But law-abiding firearm owners should not be the only ones flipping the bill. Taxing law abiding citizens for the behavior of less than a fraction of one percent of the state’s population is not the solution. Join the California Rifle and Pistol Association, contact your Assembly member today and stand in strong opposition to AB 18.

 

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