California governor signs law raising taxes on guns and ammunition to pay for school safety

California’s new laws will prohibit people from carrying guns in public and double the tax on ammunition and firearms sold in the State. Gavin Newsom has signed a law that will test the limits set by the new U.S. Supreme Court standard to interpret the Second Amendment.

Federal taxes on guns and ammunition are either 10% or 11 %, depending on what type of firearm it is. According to Brady, the gun control group, the law Newsom signed on July 1st adds an additional tax of 11% on top. This makes California the only US state that taxes guns and ammo separately.

The money will be used to improve security at public schools, and for a range of programs aimed at preventing gun violence. These include those that are aimed specifically at young gang members. The federal tax has been around for over 100 years and pays for programs to educate hunters and conserve wildlife.

Newsom had signed nearly two dozen measures to control guns on Tuesday. He acknowledged that many of these laws may not survive legal challenges, now that the U.S. Supreme Court imposed a standard for interpreting gun laws in the United States. A federal judge in California struck down last week a law that prohibited guns with magazines detachable carrying more than 10 cartridges. This is one of three cases challenging California’s strict gun laws.

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Newsom stated that “it may not mean anything if federal courts throw them out.” “We are very confident that these bills comply with the new standard, and they have been drafted accordingly. “But I’m not naive regarding the irresponsibility of the federal court and the ideological agenda.”

California Rifle and Pistol Association already filed a lawsuit to block a new law Newsom passed on Tuesday, which bans the carrying of guns in public places. The new law changes the rules of concealed carry permits to reflect the U.S. Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen.

The law prohibits the carrying of guns in 26 locations, including parks and playgrounds for children, public gatherings and demonstrations, amusement park, churches, banks and zoos.

These laws won’t make us safer. Chuck Michel, President of the California Rifle and Pistol Association said that they are unconstitutional and vindictive in response to the Supreme Court affirming the Second Amendment’s protection for an individual’s right to choose whether to own a gun to defend their family or for sports. They are being challenged and, as soon as they are signed, a court judgment will be issued to strike them down.

Newsom, a possible Democratic presidential candidate beyond 2024, has the reputation of being one of America’s liberal governors. He has refused to raise taxes for many causes, including the fight against climate change. Newsom, however, said that he did not view this tax the same as he does other general increases. He said that gun violence costs taxpayers money already in terms of health effects and criminal justice system.

He said: “I believe this is a modest investment for prevention and to reduce those costs.” Later, he added, “The carnage… it’s just too much.” We cannot normalize, accept or tolerate it. “This is a small cost to pay.”

According to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2021, California ranks 43rd among 50 states, with nine deaths per 100,000 people. Recent violent crime has increased. According to the California Department of Justice, violent crime rates increased by 6.1% between 2022 and 2022.

Other states do not have a tax on guns or ammunition. However, some local governments may. Tennessee used to have a tax of 10 cents on shotgun shells. This tax was abolished in 2019 Pennsylvania charges a $3 surcharge for gun sales in order to fund background checks. California charges gun buyers fees of more than $37. Most of this money goes to background checks.

Brady’s president, Kris Brown, said that taxing firearm sales is crucial to stopping the cycle of violence.

There are some exceptions to the tax. The tax would not be applicable to police officers or businesses that have sales below $5,000 in a 3-month period. Officials estimate that it will generate $159 million per year.

California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program must receive the first 75 million dollars of this money, according to California law. The program has supported projects that target young people involved in gangs. These include sports programs, life-coaching and tattoo removal.

Next, $50 million will be allocated to the State Department of Education for the purpose of enhancing security in public schools. This includes physical security improvements, risk assessments, after-school programming for at-risk children, and mental and behavioral healthcare services for students, educators, and other school staff.

This brought comfort to California state senator Catherine Blakespear. She is a Democrat and hails from San Diego. She said that she was sitting on the Senate floor when her 9th-grader texted her saying that they were hiding underneath their desk. No one was hurt.

She said, “I am aware that thousands of families are experiencing this and that the hardening our schools is becoming normalized.” “We don’t want to live in a state or country where we are forced to do things like this in order for us protect people.”