Under two new regulations signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday (Sep 26), people will be prohibited from carrying handguns in most public areas, while taxes on guns and ammunition sold in the state will be doubled. The federal government currently levies a 10% or 11% tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition, depending on the type of firearm.
The tax money would be used to strengthen school security and fund a range of gun violence prevention programs
According to the Associated Press, gun control advocacy group Brady stated that the new law signed by Governor Newsom added an additional 11% tax on top of that, making California the only state with a separate tax on firearms and ammunition.
According to the report, the tax money would be used to strengthen school security and fund a range of gun violence prevention programs. The two new legislation were among almost two dozen gun control bills enacted by Newsom on Tuesday.
However, he admitted that many of these regulations may face legal challenges now that the Supreme Court has established a new paradigm for interpreting the country’s gun laws.
“It may mean nothing if the federal courts are throwing them out. We feel very strongly that these bills meet the (new standard), and they were drafted accordingly. But I’m not naive about the recklessness of the federal courts and the ideological agenda,” the governor said.
California has the lowest gun death rates in the country
According to the report, the California Rifle and Pistol Association has already filed a lawsuit to overturn a new law signed by Newsom that prohibits people from carrying guns in most public places, including parks, churches, banks, zoos, and “any other privately owned commercial establishment that is open to the public” unless the owner posts a sign saying guns are permitted.
According to Chuck Michel, the association’s president, these rules will not make people safer. “They are an unconstitutional retaliatory and vindictive response to the Supreme Court’s affirmation that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to choose to own a firearm for sport or to defend your family,” Michel said.
Despite having some of the lowest gun death rates in the country, violent crime has recently climbed. According to the state’s Department of Justice, violent crime climbed by 6.1%.
There will be limited exemptions to the sales taxes on firearms and ammunition. They will not apply to police officers, nor will they apply to enterprises with less than $5,000 in sales over a three-month period.
