If you can't ban 'em, tax 'em

[Snaquebite]

Lawmakers looking to more tightly regulate firearms in the wake of the Newtown school shooting and other massacres are moving at the state and federal levels to introduce new taxes on firearms and ammunition.

The proposals range from the modest -- a proposed 5 percent tax in New Jersey -- to the steep -- a proposed 50 percent ammo tax in Maryland. The bills follow efforts to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and expand background checks, measures that have had mixed success at the state level.

More... http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013...est=latestnews

[BryanK]

From the article:

Maryland state Rep. Jon Cardin has introduced a bill imposing a 50 percent tax on ammo, and an annual $25 gun registration fee.

Just lovely. I'm glad I'm moving south in a couple of months. I love the terrain features MD offers (beaches, mountains, farm land, rolling hillsides etc.) only a couple of hours away from each other, but it's time to jump ship. I'm really going to miss the hunting and fishing here.

[Dragbag036]

I know what you mean. I live in Howard County and MD taxes everything. Who do you use for your FFL?

[BryanK]

Originally Posted by Dragbag036

I know what you mean. I live in Howard County and MD taxes everything. Who do you use for your FFL?

Gus over at Accurate Pawn on Route 1 in Elkridge. Decent rates, and he usually has lots of ammo for decent prices

[Dragbag036]

Thanks brother, I'll check him out.

[PSM]

I heard an interesting argument, on Mark Levin's radio show yesterday, that this would be taxing a "right" and would be illegal like a "poll tax" is illegal.

Pat

[Airbornelawyer]

Originally Posted by PSM

I heard an interesting argument, on Mark Levin's radio show yesterday, that this would be taxing a "right" and would be illegal like a "poll tax" is illegal.

Pat

A more apt analogy would be allowing newspapers to continue to publish, but imposing a special tax on ink or newsprint. That would be a violation of the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of the press. See, e.g., Minneapolis Star Tribune Company v. Commissioner, 460 U.S. 575 (1983). Also, if you read that case, which is available on-line, note that the Supreme Court held that even though the tax wasn't intended to infringe on First Amendment rights, its structure and effect imposed a special burden on the press that was a violation. Here, by contrast, I think it's pretty clear that these states are trying to infringe on Second Amendment rights.