U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has co-sponsored legislation that would prohibit states from imposing excise taxes on firearms and ammunition.
The Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act, led by Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), aims to prevent states from implementing taxes on gun purchases and related products. The legislation has support from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, National Shooting Sports Foundation, and National Rifle Association.
“This bill would take it a step further by ensuring blue states can’t usurp Congressional intent and use state taxes to deter law-abiding Americans from exercising their Second Amendment right to purchase firearms and ammunition,” Cornyn said in a statement Monday.
Several states, including California, Colorado, Vermont, and New York, currently have excise taxes on firearms and ammunition in place. Virginia state legislators recently introduced a bill that would place a $500 tax on firearm suppressors.
The proposed federal legislation follows the recent passage of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which included a provision reducing the federal suppressor tax to zero dollars. Cornyn supported that provision as well.
Cornyn serves on the Senate Finance, Judiciary, Intelligence, Foreign Relations, and Budget Committees.