Senator Mike Crapo | Official U.S. Senate headshot
Senator Mike Crapo | Official U.S. Senate headshot
U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) has aligned with U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and U.S. Representative Darrell Issa (R-California) to introduce the Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act. The proposed legislation aims to prohibit states from imposing excise taxes on firearms and ammunition intended to fund gun control programs.
“Some states are unfairly using tax policy to push an ill-founded, anti-gun agenda on gun owners,” said Crapo. “Tax laws should not unfairly target law-abiding citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights.”
Senator Risch echoed these sentiments, stating, “Democrats’ latest attack on the Second Amendment looks like an excessive excise tax to fund gun control initiatives. The Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act ensures states do not place a significant financial burden on law-abiding gun owners to advance their anti-Second Amendment agenda.”
Issa also expressed concern about state policies infringing upon constitutional rights: “For years, extreme state policies and governors, including from my home state, have targeted the fundamental Second Amendment rights of our fellow Americans. California’s new imposition of a ‘sin tax’ on firearms and ammunition equates a core constitutional freedom with gambling or drug use. Enough is enough. That’s why Senator Risch and I are joining forces to introduce this key legislation and stop any state tax that seeks to raise the price of self-defense out of reach for any American.”
As of July 1, 2024, California implemented a new 10-11 percent excise tax on firearms and ammunition aimed at discouraging firearm purchases and funding gun control programs. These additional fees effectively double the tax burden on such purchases in the state. Similar proposals have been made in Colorado, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, and New York.
Crapo, Risch, and Issa have garnered support from Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), and U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (R-North Carolina) in introducing this bill.
The Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act has received endorsements from several organizations including the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), and National Rifle Association (NRA).
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