In
an effort to reignite the gun-control debate, two Democratic lawmakers
are proposing massive tax hikes on handguns and ammunition, while
linking the revenues with programs to prevent gun violence. Sponsored by
Reps. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) and Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), the “
Gun Violence Prevention and Safe Communities Act"
is ambitious, to say the least, as it would nearly double the current
11-percent tax on handguns, while lifting the tax on bullets and
cartridges from 11 percent to 50 percent.
Articles taxable at 20
percent under the proposed legislation would include pistols, revolvers,
and any “lower frame or receiver for a firearm, whether for a
semiautomatic pistol, rifle, or shotgun that is designed to accommodate
interchangeable upper receivers.” Meanwhile, taxes on firearm shells and
cartridges would rise a whopping 40 percent.
In addition, the gun
transfer tax would more than double under the legislation, upping the
levy on all weapons (excluding antique firearms) covered under the
National Firearms Act from $200 to $500.
"As a former mayor of one
of the largest cities in New Jersey, I know how critical the issue of
reducing gun violence is to our communities," Rep. Pascrell, co-Chair of
the House Law Enforcement Caucus,
said
of the legislation. “This bill represents a major investment in the
protection of our children and our communities, and reflects the
long-term societal costs of gun and ammunition purchases in our
country.”
The two lawmakers claim their legislation would generate
$600 million per year, and would be used to support law-enforcement
measures and gun-violence prevention programs. According to a
press release published on Rep. Pascrell’s website, the bill would allocate revenues in the following manner:
The
Gun Violence Prevention and Safe Communities Act will direct the
estimated $600 million in new revenue to programs designed to make
communities safer and reduce violence, including: Project Safe
Neighborhood Grants; Community-Oriented Policing Grants; Community-Based
Violence Prevention Initiative Grants; research into the causes and
prevention of gun violence via the Center[s] for Disease Control’s
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; the National Criminal
History Improvement Program; the NICS Record Improvement Program; and
grants to encourage schools and districts to implement comprehensive,
evidence-based discipline systems to improve school climate.
Considering
the bill’s glaring demands — and the fact that it’s being proposed in
the Republican-controlled House — critics predict defeat for the
measure. “I doubt this bill will pass, but we will lobby against it if
need be,” declared Alan Gottlieb, who chairs the Citizens Committee for
the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. “This is simply another shot against
gun owners in this country.”
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