Gavin Newsom Signs Law Raising Taxes On Guns, Ammunition To Fund California School Safety
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed measures on Tuesday to raise taxes on guns and ammunition to improve school safety in the state.
The new law will double the taxes on guns and ammunition and will use that revenue to pay for more security at public schools and to support numerous violence prevention programs. The law will tack on an 11 percent tax on top of the federal taxes on guns and ammunition, which are either 10 percent or 11 percent depending on what kind of gun.
The governor’s office described the legislation, AB 28, as a “first-in-the-nation effort to generate $160 million annually on the sale of bullets to improve school safety and gun violence intervention program.” This will include initiatives to prevent school shootings, strengthen firearm investigations and take away guns from domestic abusers.
“It’s shameful that gun manufacturers are reaping record profits at the same time that gun violence has become the leading cause of death for kids in the United States,” said Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), who sponsored the bill.
