Seattle and the Second Amendment Tax

Taxes Proposed by the Seattle City Council Target Gun Owners

Seattle City Council president Tim Burgess is proposing a new tax of $25.00 for each gun sale and .05 cents for each round of ammunition sold in the city of Seattle. The tax is in direct contradiction with Washington State law. Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 9.41.290 states "The state of Washington hereby fully occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation within the boundaries of the state… Cities, towns, and counties or other municipalities may enact only those laws and ordinances relating to firearms that are specifically authorized by state law…" (and) "Local laws and ordinances that are inconsistent with, more restrictive than, or exceed the requirements of state law shall not be enacted and are preempted and repealed, regardless of the nature of the code, charter, or home rule status of such city, town, county, or municipality."

So what is the point of the tax? Criminals usually fire between 3.2 and 3.7 rounds per criminally violent attack. How many do you fire each time you go to the range for practice or attend a firearms training class? Hundreds? I do.

NRA-ILA

Law-abiding gun owners will also bear the brunt of the $.05 ammunition tax, while criminals will be largely unaffected. Whereas sports shooters and those that train for self-defense often use hundreds of rounds of ammunition during a range trip or plinking session, the evidence suggests criminals use very little ammunition.

Seattle has a history of trying to circumvent the rule of law to lessen your right to bear arms.

NRA-ILA

Further, this matter is settled law. An October 13, 2008 opinion from the Washington State Attorney General, answering a lawmaker’s question regarding the legitimacy of local restrictions on the Right-to-Carry, noted, "a city’s authority to adopt firearms laws or regulations of application to the general public, unless specifically authorized by state law." Moreover, the Court of Appeals of Washington ruled in NRA’s favor in a 2011 lawsuit challenging the validity of a Seattle restriction on the Right-to-Carry in city parks. In their opinion, the court reiterated the plain meaning of the preemption statute, explaining that localities are restricted from restricting guns "Except as expressly authorized by the legislature."

Taxes on gun and ammunition purchases are just another way for progressive politicians to push their anti-gun rights agenda.

* The views and opinions expressed on this web site are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Guns & Tactics Magazine,
the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

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Written by Jerry House

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Jerry House

Jerry has been a criminal justice professional for nearly two decades. He is a US Navy Veteran, self-proclaimed Second Amendment scholar, gun rights advocate, and NRA Life Member.

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