Bullet Tax Proposal Robs Chicago Sportsmen

bullets and ammo
Bullet Tax Proposal Robs Chicago Sportsmen
U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance
U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance

Columbus, OH –-(Ammoland.com)- Cook County, Illinois Board of Commissioners President Toni Preckwinkle is proposing a so-called “violence tax” in her budget plan for the County.

The unjustified and ill-conceived attack includes a five- cent tax on every bullet and a $25 tax on every firearm sold within the County.

According to the Associated Press, the tax would be on gun dealers, rather than customers. Either way, sportsmen will pay a higher cost to hunt and shoot.

Under the proposal, some ammunition prices could see increases of more than 50 percent. A case of shotshells would cost an extra $12.50 and a brick of .22 cartridges would go up a jaw-dropping $25.

“The Commissioner claims to be worried about crime,” said Evan Heusinkveld, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance director of state services.

“While this proposal does nothing to curb violence, it is government sanctioned robbery of law abiding sportsmen. Not to mention, it will run local gun stores out of business who won’t be able to compete with prices in neighboring counties.”

According to Commissioner Preckwinkle, no other county or city in the country taxes gun owners this way.

Sportsmen should contact the Cook County Board of Commissioners and ask them to protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners by voting against the bullet and firearm tax proposal.

About:The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. Visit www.ussportsmen.org.

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Christopher E. Hill

To give readers a better idea of what the proposed "violence tax" would look like as it concerns ammunition, a $22 525-round "value pack" of 22 LR ammo (a very popular purchase) would go to $48.25, even before sales tax is applied. An $85 2,100-round bulk purchase of the same ammunition would cost more than $200 after taxes (prices from a well-known global outfitter of hunting, fishing, and outdoor gear that has a store in Cook County).

PANTERA VAZQUEZ

There are times one wishes to comment on statements made by politicians. Then there are zingers like this one-a "violence tax". I don't know if I should laugh or cry. How is it that lawmakers always manage to f*ck the law abiding citizenry in the never-ending quest to try to relieve undesirables from their tools of trade? New laws only affect those that OBEY LAWS. Criminals shall be the ONLY ones not paying the "violence tax". Once again, a hot air response from a windbag politician that does nothing to address a problem yet sounds great before the cameras.