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In Question of the Day: Are Gun Control Advocates Getting Desperate? I pondered the inanity of defrocked Doc and ex-con Linda Shelton’s Daily Kos editorial calling for bullet control. Who could be that dumb? Hello, Seattle! “Seattle is one step closer to a new gun tax a city council member says is needed to combat gun violence in the city,” kiorvtv.com reports. “A committee approved and sent an ordinance to the full city council Wednesday that if passed, would tack on a new $25 tax on sellers on every gun sold, plus a new 2-cent tax on every .22 caliber bullet and 5 cents each for all other bullets.” The chances that the gun and bullet tax would reduce “gun violence” are roughly the same that . . .

a motor vehicle tax will reduce drunk driving.

I’ve got two words for this bone-headed move: poll tax. Remembering that the United State Constitution specifically prohibits any government infringement on the right to keep and bear arms. Still, guns and ammo ARE taxed already, like any other consumer product. So maybe Seattle will get away with it – even as their gun dealers close up shop and move away, denying the city ANY firearms-related revenue.

I think it’s safe to say that Seattle’s anti-ballistic burghers failed basic economics: “The tax is estimated to generate about $300,000 a year to fund gun violence prevention.” Estimated by the same people who watched Boeing get going, moving production from Washington State to South Carolina to save on labor costs. Anyway, the Seattle gun and ammo tax city ordinance still faces legal challenges and public opprobrium. Well, the former anyway.

 

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142 COMMENTS

  1. Nothing more than an attempted money grab by the slimy city politicians, in the name of ‘gun safety’. The tax isn’t going to generate shit anyway because people would just drive outside of city limits to get their ammo (?) Who would want to pay an extra .05c per round (or boolit, as they say).

    • And make them work. I bet there’s still plenty of garbage that needs to be picked up, graffiti that needs to be painted over and highway landscape that needs trimming.

      • I agree, able bodied folks on welfare should be doing community service cleaning things up like trash and vandalism.

      • Could we change this to Farewell recipients and get rid of sales tax on everything . How about we have a flat tax of 15 % on ‘All income’ , yes , even government payments .

        • I’m fine with a flat tax, so long as it actually applies to everything equally – including capital gains. Every time you see a flat income tax proposal from any mainstream conservative politician, it usually excludes those from that supposedly universal rate.

          For example, the so-called “fair tax” proposal would actually make capital gains non-taxable at all. Which is complete and utter bullshit – there’s no sane reason as to why sweat-of-the-brow income should be taxed higher than economic rent. The only even remotely coherent argument is that taxes on capital gains supposedly stymie investment, but you could similarly say that taxes on personal income stymie working… so the same argument either applies to both or neither.

          In practice, of course, these proposals are usually like that because people who write them are not even the proverbial 1%, but the literal 0.01% who get the vast majority of their income from capital gains. So of course it’s in their interest to offload their tax burden to the rest of us, while sugar-coating it as “fair tax” or suchlike, by excluding themselves from the comparison altogether. And, unfortunately, on account of controlling so much money, they also have a very strong lobby: note how even the supposedly left-wing politicians very rarely speak about serious adjustments to capital gains rates, for them it’s all about more progressive taxes on personal income.

  2. Seattle has gun violence? I thought it was where the dregs of white people went to stay stoned until they drop dead.

    • Some of us program computers and build airplanes and spacecraft as well, but keep it up with whatever you’re doing wherever you are.

    • No, that honor goes to Portland, OR. Eugene has more per capita, buy Portland beats them numerically in aimless, able-bodied stoners wandering around in hemp clothing.

    • They traced 10 shootings around the city to one gun. But still demand that every gun owner pay the poll tax. Classic Seattle progressives trying to out progressive each other with out trying to fix the real problems with the city. But those cross walks they painted rainbows for $66,000 sure are pretty and go a long way to solve the cities problems. By my calculations that 1.32 million rounds worth of paint. How many years of ammo sales will it take to make up for that blatant vote buying stunt.

      http://q13fox.com/2015/07/16/seattle-police-ask-public-for-help-in-identifying-two-gunmen-pistol-tied-to-10-shootings/

      It’s so sad what the progressive politicians and the people who keep voting them in have done to a really cool city. They are killing their golden goose and they don’t even know it or care. As we south Puget Sound people like to call it. “it’s 84 square miles surrounded by reality.”

  3. “So maybe Seattle will get away with it – even as their gun dealers close-up shop and move away.”

    Which is probably exactly what the Seattle City Council wants.

    • All two of them. Seriously, there are two gun stores in Seattle, and if this goes through, they probably both close or relocate.

      Which just goes to show those revenue projections are pure fantasy. If anything, this is going to be revenue negative, because it will cost the city sales taxes it is collecting now.

      • I’m not sure if you’re including Outdoor Emporium in that number, but if you don’t know that store, you should.

        I’ve bought 8 of my guns from them and various camping gear and topo maps (screw GPS).

        If this idiocy goes through, all it is going to do is lose the city money. It is a very stupid thing to do in a hand-wringy, knee-jerk kind of way.

        Stupid stupid.

        • Yeah, forgot about them, which is dumb, because I bought a gun cabinet from them. Nice folks. The real number I think is three or four, because along with them there’s Discount Gun Sales and Precise Shooter. Every other shop I know about is outside city limits.

        • And top that off with the $15.00 per hour minimum wage in city limits?
          The gun stores will close.
          I know I probably would

  4. Oh great, another Ammo sales campaign. I think I’m going to go buy a case in honor of the Seattle City council and another one in honor of Mrs Shelton.

  5. They’ll probably pass this, spend a lot of money trying to defend this in the courts, then lose. Seattle has lost before when they tried to defeat the state preemption law.

  6. The tax is probably legal. It does not prohibit either firearms or ammunition. The Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms. It doesn’t guarantee free guns and ammo.

    The revenue estimates are just for show. The objective is to drive out gun stores and ammo sellers in the mistaken belief that there will be an in invisible protective shield keeping guns out of the city.

    Seattle is the place that fantasizes that you can turn $7.50/hr jobs into $15/hr jobs with a stroke of a pen. Seattle has replaced San Francisco as the fruit and nut capital of the world.

    Imagine world peace dude.

        • I can’t tell if you are a troll or not. Your strawman is like 3 strawmen sitting on each other’s shoulder wearing a trenchcoat.

        • @B
          “I can’t tell if you are a troll or not”

          No, he was or is a federal agent, and would kill you while saying “I’m here to protect you.”

          It is an illegal tax, that is being applied to cause a disparate impact on citizens who exercise their Second Amendment Right.
          If it was about voting or same sex it would not be tolerated by the government, but impeding the acquisition of arms, which can be used in resistance, the government sanctions an illegal tax. Once there was a tea party in Boston that objected to the same thing.

          The gay marriage ruling just established that no state may discriminate against an individual for exercising their rights, and that applies to all rights or none at all.

        • Strawman, I think not. If a tax on firearms and ammunition is an unconstitutional infringement on the right to bear arms than so is the lack of financial resources.

          A poor person is likely to live in a high crime area and may not be able to afford a gun and ammunition for protection. What good is a right to bear arms if you can’t afford to exercise it? The government needs to remedy this by providing the poor person the means of self defense.

          I bet if Seattle were imposing this tax to fund guns and ammo for poor people who can’t afford it you all would applauding it.

        • Strawman, I think not. If a tax on firearms and ammunition is an unconstitutional infringement on the right to bear arms than so is the lack of financial resources.

          You’re conflating a right with an entitlement.

          A poll tax is an unconstitutional infringement upon the right to vote. Not providing government-funded transportation to and from the polling place, however, is not an infringement.

        • If you live in a high crime area and are old enough to purchase a gun and haven’t already disqualified yourself by committing a felonious crime then may I suggest , clean yourself and your clothing , learn to speak in a courteous , non threatening , non hood way , non trailer trash way , ( like BHO does ) , stop smoking weed , crack , meth and preferably cigarettes , popping pills or snorting oxeyes , brush your teeth , put on a sleeved shirt , pull up your pants , clean and tie your shoes , and find someone who will pay you to work your ass off , and work your ass off , be honest , courteous , dependable and respectful . If you have not learned to read and comprehend what you read or if you can not spell or write , you will probably need to seek out some form of help and learn to do these things to better improve your lot in life . Get involved , stay informed and vote . If you want to be included in ‘ THE SYSTEM ‘ become a ‘ CITIZEN ‘ . Just being born in America or having one of your parents an American only entitles you the right to play in the game , impressing the coach with your attitude , drive and natural abilities is what gets you off the bench .

      • I forgot to mention that Poll taxes were legal and Constitutional until the passage of the 24th Amendment.

        • Wait a minute, I thought you said a tax on voting would be an infringement, yet it was legal when the Second Amendment was passed. From that we can can conclude that taxes on arms and ordinance.are Constitutional until an Amendment is passed outlawing the practice. You didn’t know poll taxes were legal until the mid 20th Century did you?

          I have long observed that most of regular posters do not what is in the Constitution beyond the Second Amendment. Please read and study the entire document so you can better defend the right to bear arms.

        • Wait a minute, I thought you said a tax on voting would be an infringement, yet it was legal when the Second Amendment was passed.

          Actually, I said constitutional, not legal. If legality is derived from natural law, then infringement upon the right to keep and bear arms has never been legal, regardless of what the constitution says.

          From that we can can conclude that taxes on arms and ordinance.are Constitutional until an Amendment is passed outlawing the practice.

          That amendment was ratified in 1971: the second amendment, which stated that the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

          You didn’t know poll taxes were legal until the mid 20th Century did you?

          Last I checked, the year is 2015. Why are you framing an argument that his been moot for 50 years?

          Prior to 1964, one could argue that poll taxes were still unconstitutional; the 24th amendment simply made it explicitly so. The same thing can be said for state infringement of the right to keep and bear arms, which has always been unconstitutional under the second amendment, but was made explicitly so with the passage of the fourteenth amendment.

          I have long observed that most of regular posters do not what is in the Constitution beyond the Second Amendment. Please read and study the entire document so you can better defend the right to bear arms.

          Work on your understanding of ratification dates, and don’t trouble yourself with my overall understanding of the constitution.

      • + on the voter tax, charge extra for (D) [for if they win, there won’t be any amount of taxation that’ll make up for the losses].

        I like the argument that demanding identification is discrimination. I DEMAND TO KNOW WHO IS BEING DISCRIMNATED AGAINST. IF YOU CAN GIVE ME THEIR NAMES, HOW DID YOU VERIFY THEIR IDENTITY???

        F ALL STUPID EVIL BLUE (D) FOREVER, and all your kids.

    • Poll taxes don’t prohibit voting either.

      Taxing guns and ammo as a consumer good is one thing. That’s fine, because that’s what they are. Excessive taxes aimed solely at guns and ammunition is an infringement, just like a hospital charging more to deliver a black baby would be utterly wrong.

      • General taxes applicable to all goods are not an infringement. Special taxes, (direct or excise), on a constitutionally protected venue represent the power to indirectly destroy the civil right dependent on those goods.

      • Poll taxes effectively prohibit voting to anyone who does not have enough money to pay the tax. If poll taxes are legal, then setting them at some absurdly high value (say, $100B) is also legal, but it would effectively deny everyone the right to vote.

    • You are the one who confusing rights and entitlements. Guns and ammunition are goods just like food and clothing. You have no right to have them tax free. You are not entitled to have tax free firearms.

      • You do realize that words have meanings, right? And that you can’t just use them however you wish, regardless of those meanings?

        Entitlement = something that the government must provide someone. “Not taxing” something does not constitute an entitlement any more than reducing income tax rates does not constitute a “tax refund” to the income earner.

        Taxing something, whether a good or a behavior, has a negative impact on the purchase of that good (or exercise of that behavior). Thus, taxing a constitutionally protected activity is a de facto government impediment imposed on the practice of that activity.

        Thus, I may not be “entitled” to purchase of an arbitrary good free of taxation; but I absolutely have the right to exercise the right to keep and bear arms free of taxation.

    • Washington State has a state law that preempts most municipal regulation of firearms:

      “The state of Washington hereby fully occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation within the boundaries of the state, including the registration, licensing, possession, purchase, sale, acquisition, transfer, discharge, and transportation of firearms, or any other element relating to firearms or parts thereof, including ammunition and reloader components. Cities, towns, and counties or other municipalities may enact only those laws and ordinances relating to firearms that are specifically authorized by state law, as in RCW 9.41.300, and are consistent with this chapter. Such local ordinances shall have the same penalty as provided for by state law. Local laws and ordinances that are inconsistent with, more restrictive than, or exceed the requirements of state law shall not be enacted and are preempted and repealed, regardless of the nature of the code, charter, or home rule status of such city, town, county, or municipality.”

      The only things that RCW 9.41.300 gives control to the municipalities over is restricting the discharge of firearms, restricting open (but not concealed with permit) carry in some places, and zoning. There’s no mention of taxation there. One could argue that taxing a good is not “regulation of firearms” in and of itself, but when the goods taxed are specifically limited to firearms, I doubt it would pass in court.

    • The 2nd amendment denies any authority to “infringe” upon the RtKBA. If a tax is calculated to discourage or make more difficult owning arms then it is an infringement.

      in·fringe
      inˈfrinj/Submit
      verb

      1.) actively break the terms of (a law, agreement, etc.).
      “making an unauthorized copy would infringe copyright”
      synonyms: contravene, violate, transgress, break, breach; More

      2.) act so as to limit or undermine (something); encroach on.
      “his legal rights were being infringed”
      synonyms: restrict, limit, curb, check, encroach on; More

  7. I can sort of see what they are trying to do…. In government you subsidize the things you want, tax the things you don’t. Tax the guns, subsidize the criminals.

    There is a certain consistency in their logic. Their logic IS flawed, but consistent.

    • I was wondering that myself, and whether that’s the only way they could come up with the revenue figures.

      That said … I don’t know whether (insert online ammo place of your choice) would be compelled to charge the tax, or if Seattle tried, if the simpler solution is to just not sell to anyone in a Seattle zipcode.

      Again, either way the council gets what it wants.

    • Online ammo vendors will probably just refuse to ship to Seattle zip codes, just to save themselves the trouble and cover their butts, same as gun dealers do with CA and other slave states.

  8. An approx 40% tax on bullets will not pass constitutional muster.

    Opponents should be talking about this tax in percentages because most fair-minded citizens would understand that levying a 40% tax is outrageous.

    Every person in TV and paper in Seattle area should be focused on….
    1) Outrageous 40% tax
    2) Does city council really think that a 2cent tax on a bullet is going to discourage criminals from shooting someone?
    3) The vindictive nature of city council placing extreme taxes on something they don’t personally like. Wonder what they will tax next…maybe something they don’t like that you are fond of buying.

  9. I don’t get it. What would prevent people from just driving outside the city limits to get their ammo? So they’d actually lose revenue, as the gun dealers would just set up shop in the suburbs.

    • Or Shoreline. One of the shops is literally twenty blocks from the city limits. It’s three bus stops. Like two minutes away. o If there’s an available retail location up there, it’s a no-brainer.

      • Much to be said for rolling your own, I wonder how this tax applies to components, or if they have even thought about that.

        • Actually Wiregrass , I don’t think they would think of re-loaders but they do seem to have enough sense to read these web sights and we will bring it to their attention and after much research they will propose an amendment to their ill-advised law that tries to address their ineptitude .

  10. So the girlfriend wants me to move to Seattle.

    Assuming this passes, I can buy guns and ammo in, say, Renton or Tacoma, right?

    /rhetorical

    • You can still buy it online, for starters (and it’s usually cheaper). But there’s twenty-something gun stores all around Seattle metro area.

      In any case, you really don’t want to live in Seattle proper. It’s crowded, traffic is hell, and unless you really like to walk everywhere it’s all very inconvenient. Oh, and expensive to rent, much less to buy. As far as laws go, Seattle has the single most retarded knife laws in the state, and probably some of the worst in the nation (no fixed blades, locking folders must have blade under 3.5″). Given that there are plenty better places all around the city in the greater metro area which don’t have these silly laws and which are usually cheaper to live in (and, often, much nicer), it’s a no-brainer unless you get a job in Seattle – then your commute will be hell unless you live really close.

    • Experience is California says otherwise. Anyone who sells, including internet retailers, are required to collect the tax for addresses within city limits. Import bans or taxes in LA and SF so far have been holding, with most simply refusing to sell to those locations.

      • Mark,
        Amazon (which as offices and warehouses) plus e-tailers with a brick & mortar presence in CA do charge. CA ‘s Franchise Tax Board is unable to extend its grasping claws otherwise.

  11. We on the right of the Cascades wishes the left would float out into the Pacific like when Bugs Bunny sawed off Florida.

    • Hey now! Just because I have moss growing behind my ears doesn’t mean I agree with these anti-civil rights fools.

    • I am on the right side of the Cascades (not the sinister side!), but I don’t wish for the entire landmass west of the Cascade range to float away; it would be nice if there was some way to break the majority of the population along the I-5 corridor from around Olympia north out of their progressive mindset.

      • If Western Washington floated away, Eastern Washington would turn into a desolate shithole. The Westside is entirely dependent on the revenue raised from the I-5 corridor. Thats right, you and everyone east of the cascades are welfare recipients supported by money from all the sodomites and communists in Seattle. The irony is rich.

  12. Hmmmm, undue taxation. Attempted gun confiscation…. Any of this sound familiar?

    At what point does this reach critical mass (again)?

    “how long? not long, because what you reap is what you sow”

  13. From RCW 9.41.290:

    “The state of Washington hereby fully occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation within the boundaries of the state, including the registration, licensing, possession, purchase, sale, acquisition, transfer, discharge, and transportation of firearms, or any other element relating to firearms or parts thereof, including ammunition and reloader components. Cities, towns, and counties or other municipalities may enact only those laws and ordinances relating to firearms that are specifically authorized by state law, as in RCW 9.41.300, and are consistent with this chapter. Such local ordinances shall have the same penalty as provided for by state law. Local laws and ordinances that are inconsistent with, more restrictive than, or exceed the requirements of state law shall not be enacted and are preempted and repealed, regardless of the nature of the code, charter, or home rule status of such city, town, county, or municipality.”

    It seems that since Seattle is trying to enact a firearms regulation in the form of a tax, specific only to firearms and ammunition, it falls afoul of the purchase, sale, and “any other element relating to firearms” aspect of the law. They might say that we already have different tax structures for different consumer goods, but those consumer goods are not specifically protected under state law from local government meddling as are firearms.

    Incidentally, the local shop profiled in the media, Precise Shooter on Aurora – in the location of the old “Butch’s” for those in the Seattle area – great small shop, big inventory of Ruger and Glock among others, mostly handguns but a fair collection of long guns as well (it’s where I finally found a Ruger AR556 in stock!), nice employees, pretty competitive pricing too. They’re my new go-to if I need to do a firearms purchase.

  14. This type of feel good foolishness is why I refuse to move back within the city limits of Seattle.

    The funny thing is, that no matter where you are in Seattle, accounting for traffic, you are within 45 minutes- 1 hour by car of any number of good gunshops in the cities that circle Seattle. And I can order bullets online.

  15. Taxing bullets, eh? That’s gonna hit the reloaders. Fortunately, if you’re buying cartridges you should be fine, right?

    It’s their fault if they don’t use the correct terminology, right? That’d be great.

    I know it’s not the case, but it’d be nice.

  16. Criminals don’t need a lot of bullets to do what they do. What do they care if they pay an extra $2.50 a box? (Provided they don’t just steal it anyway) Ammunition is essential to their way of life, they won’t decide they don’t need bullets in their Hi-Point because a box costs $17 instead of $14.

    • But it will hurt assassins who use 22lr and buy in bulk, look at the 10-30% mark up. Some may go out of business or just charge more for hits.

  17. This violates two RCWs in Washington. RCW 9.41.290 & RCW 9.41.300(3)(a).

    My email that I just fired off to the council:

    Hello All,

    Just in case someone hasn’t mentioned it in an earlier email (I doubt it): RCW 9.41.290.

    The state of Washington hereby fully occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation within the boundaries of the state, including the registration, licensing, possession, purchase, sale, acquisition, transfer, discharge, and transportation of firearms, or any other element relating to firearms or parts thereof, including ammunition and reloader components. Cities, towns, and counties or other municipalities may enact only those laws and ordinances relating to firearms that are specifically authorized by state law, as in RCW 9.41.300, and are consistent with this chapter. Such local ordinances shall have the same penalty as provided for by state law. Local laws and ordinances that are inconsistent with, more restrictive than, or exceed the requirements of state law shall not be enacted and are preempted and repealed, regardless of the nature of the code, charter, or home rule status of such city, town, county, or municipality.

    And of course, RCW 9.41.300:
    (3)(a) Cities, towns, and counties may enact ordinances restricting the areas in their respective jurisdictions in which firearms may be sold, but, except as provided in (b) of this subsection, a business selling firearms may not be treated more restrictively than other businesses located within the same zone. An ordinance requiring the cessation of business within a zone shall not have a shorter grandfather period for businesses selling firearms than for any other businesses within the zone.

    Go ahead and pass this ridiculously veiled attempt to prohibit citizens from exercising their natural and Constitutionally protected right. It will fail in execution and in combating gun-related violence.

    If you do pass this, I will join the thousands of others- not to mention the businesses that your are affecting- that will no doubt bring lawsuits against the city for your obvious and unjust infringement on our Second Amendment rights. Not to mention your flagrant disregard for state law. Do you think that will end well? This ordinance will create such a drain on city finances from all the lawsuits and judgments against the city.

    Additionally, this ordinance will also fail spectacularly in the eyes of the Supreme Court- or any court that knows taxation on rights is unconstitutional. Remember polling taxes? Of course not, otherwise you wouldn’t be pursuing this gigantic waste of time. And let’s not forget the 1983 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Minneapolis Star & Tribune Co. v. Minnesota Commissioner of Revenue, where the taxation of newsprint violated First Amendment rights. This case has been cited in other newspaper-related tax repeals. And you want to try it with guns and ammo?

    And finally, if, in your extreme ineptitude, you pass this travesty of government, not only will I avoid Seattle to the Nth degree (Hello Bellevue, with your light traffic and just-as-tasty restaurants only 15 minutes away), I will advocate others to do the same. You won’t just lose out on the gun-related tax revenue (if any, since dealers will leave Seattle), you’ll lose out on food and beverage taxes, hotel taxes, and entertainment taxes.

    And how will any of this lower gun-related violence? Oh, right: IT WON’T.

  18. If someone is planning to use a gun to murder someone, an extra five cents isn’t much of a deal breaker. For someone wanting to go to the range once in a while to be proficient in the safe operation of their firearm, it very well could be. Overall, safety goes down with this measure, yet the antis love to pretend they’re making the world safer.

    • Someone posted this link in the original story about her yesterday. Obviously Daily Kos doesn’t care who they publish.

  19. I’d like to propose a tax on those who propose tax increases. Every politician who “succeeds” in raising any new, unnecessary tax get their income tax increased by 20%. If it’s for the safety of children, I’m sure our pols would proudly pay it.

  20. In Cook co,il they have a $25 slush fund-er violence tax on new guns. They tried a boo-lit tax. I can easily avoid all of this-so much for the “revenue” projections. Oh I’m sure this will pass in Seattle-you poor folks seem to get a lot of latte swilling cretins as of late…

  21. Not impressed. A $0.02 tax on a $0.08 cartridge?! How about a tax on dark blue business attire, power ties, little US flag lapel pins and overpriced haircuts? Get the politicians where they live.

    • This is the Seattle City Council… depending on the particular council member, they may actually try something like that (because power ties, dark blue suits, American flag lapel pins, and pricy haircuts are a sign of evil capitalism).

  22. So what would that actual legal fallout be if a shop owner said no, F you I’m not paying this tax or charging my customers it? At this point past a lien and revoking a business license I can’t think of anything else. Someone care to fill me in or add to the list?

    • It shouldn’t affect it at all. A business has to have nexus (usually defined as a physical location) in a state to collect and remit sales tax for that particular state. This applies to local sales taxes as well.

  23. RCW 9.41.290
    State preemption.
    The state of Washington hereby fully occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation within the boundaries of the state, including the registration, licensing, possession, purchase, sale, acquisition, transfer, discharge, and transportation of firearms, or any other element relating to firearms or parts thereof, including ammunition and reloader components. Cities, towns, and counties or other municipalities may enact only those laws and ordinances relating to firearms that are specifically authorized by state law, as in RCW 9.41.300, and are consistent with this chapter. Such local ordinances shall have the same penalty as provided for by state law. Local laws and ordinances that are inconsistent with, more restrictive than, or exceed the requirements of state law shall not be enacted and are preempted and repealed, regardless of the nature of the code, charter, or home rule status of such city, town, county, or municipality.

    • And I am sure that Seattle will lose the lawsuit, and they will undoubtedly be forced to repeal this ordinance. I wonder how many years it will bounce around the courts before that happens — 2 years, 3 years, perhaps 4 years? Oh, and about that time, I am sure they will create another ordinance with the same restrictions, and I am sure that will bounce around the courts for a few more years. In other words, I bet that Seattle will be stuck with this stupidity for at least 4 years.

  24. I live in Seattle, and while this is disheartening, I can’t say it’s surprising. Fortunately, Outdoor Emporium – the one fairly-priced gun shop in Seattle – has already announced that it plans to relocate to outside the city limits. With any luck, they will end up moving up north, closer to Lynnwood, which would allow me to hit up them, Adventure Sports and Lynnwood Gun in one trip.

  25. Seattle is crazy. It is drug infested, dangerous place to live and to visit. Public areas that reek of piss, tents and homeless everywhere. Homelessness and vagrants living on the street is up 35% THIS YEAR, the State DOT has no idea what to do with the encampments of vagrants living on the right-of-ways right next to the freeways here.

    Build it and they will come….Seattle has built a place that’s comfortable for drug users, vagrants, liberals, and the tax hungry politicians. I grew up in Seattle and it has transformed into a complete shithole.

    • I assume you live here to be able to speak on the issues the city has with such ‘authority’? Could it be you just hate the politics of the area and are so biased the city could be made of solid gold streets and you’d find a reason to dislike it? Seattle is ridiculously popular, the number of people moving here has led the country or been in the top 5 in the nation this decade. Why? The quality of life is that good. Dial back your conservative blinders and you’d see that, as well. Not everyone that reads this site and appreciates guns is a conservative ideologue, it’s ugly and ignorant.

  26. Seattle’s tax will not pass constitutional review. Governments may not tax the exercise of a fundamental right. See Murdock v. Pennsylvania 319 U.S. 105 (1943). This tax is not designed to defray administrative costs incurred by the right’s exercise.

    • From the Wikipedia article on the case:

      “ot all behavior could be allowed by claiming that it was a religious activity. … If the activity were done in order to raise money, it would be commercial and could be taxed.”

      So I’m not sure it would fly. The good thing is that they need to contest the validity of this ordnance under state laws that explicitly prohibits such shenanigans first, before we even get into the realm of constitutionality. And then, of course, there’s also the WA state constitution to consider, with its stronger RKBA provision compared to the federal one.

  27. Mentioning the mess Boeing had to deal with when they decided to move production to South Carolina from Everett does nothing to help your argument. Don’t muddy your point about the ammo tax with this ideological BS, it takes away from your credibility and detracts from your overall point.

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