California: Committee Passes Gun Tax & Further Restrictions for “Precursor” Parts

Last week, the Assembly Public Safety Committee voted to pass Assembly Bill 1223, to place an additional excise tax on firearms and ammunition, and Assembly Bill 311, to restrict firearm "precursor parts" from display or sale at gun shows. The committee sent AB 1223 to the Revenue and Tax Committee, and AB 311 to the Appropriations Committee for further consideration.

Assembly Bill 1223 taxes firearms at $25 each, and ammunition at a certain percentage yet to be determined, in order to fund social services programs for “gun violence.” The taxes are to be collected from California retailers on new firearms sold, and on their retail sales of ammunition. It is unjust to saddle law-abiding gun owners with special taxes to fund social service programs. Such a measure makes it more expensive for law-abiding citizens to exercise a constitutional right, and discourages them from practicing to be safe and proficient with their firearms for purposes such as self-defense, competition, and hunting. 

Assembly Bill 311 prohibits the display or sale of any "precursor firearm parts" at gun shows in the state. So called “precursor” parts are not regulated as firearms under federal law, however, they are regulated and limited to being transferred by licensed vendors in California. Such restrictions continue to cut off access to law-abiding individuals who are looking to acquire firearm parts in accordance with existing law.​

On Tuesday April 13^th, the Assembly Public Safety Committee is hearing AB 1237. Please contact committee members and ask them to OPPOSE AB 1237.

Assembly Bill 1237 mandates the California Department of Justice (DOJ) to supply state information, including personal identifying information, to the UC Gun Violence Research Center at UC Davis, and allows the DOJ to provide this same information to certain non-profits and state agencies. This legislation creates grave privacy concerns, as well as concerns that this information could be provided to groups that create biased “research” to push gun control policies without actually researching root causes of violence.

Again, please contact committee members and ask them to OPPOSE AB 1237.