Ammunition should not be taxed to fund gun violence research, legislators say

Apr. 7—CANTON — A majority of St. Lawrence County legislators do not think tax should be levied on ammunition sales to help study gun violence.

The Board of Legislators on Monday night passed a resolution opposing such a tax.

The resolution cites legislation proposed in March by State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, D-Bay Ridge, and Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy, D-Albany, that would create an excise tax on ammunition production in New York. All of the revenue from the tax — between 2 cents and 5 cents per pound of ammunition sold — would support gun violence research and prevention.

"The goal of the tax is not to disincentivize the purchase of ammunition, but to put some of that money back into the community," the bill's justification section reads."

The resolution, introduced by Legislator Rick Perkins, R-Potsdam, describes the implied impact of the bill as reducing the amount of ammunition and weapons sold within the state.

The resolution states that gun ownership, and therefore ammunition purchases, are long associated with the traditional way of life in upstate New York, and that this tax would restrict free exercise of the Second Amendment.

"New York state is undergoing a challenge almost on a daily basis to our Second Amendment rights," said Legislator Kevin D. Acres, R-Madrid, who vehemently opposed the resolution. "The whole purpose of these type of things is actually to take away guns from people. That's not what our Constitution stands for, and we will continue to fight here in St. Lawrence County for the rights of our Second Amendment."

Legislator Larry D. Denesha, R-DeKalb, concurred.

"I look at this as a tax on law-abiding citizens who own firearms and enjoy shooting sports. It actually forces sportsmen to fund anti-gun legislation," he said.

Legislator David W. Forsythe, R-Lisbon, opposed the resolution because he believes the measure represents a slippery slope.

"It starts out so easy at two cents per casing ... but it will increase, so I'm opposed to this," he said.

The lone dissident, Legislator Margaret G. Haggard, D-Potsdam, argued that the Second Amendment is not sacrosanct, and supported the idea of funding research on gun violence.

"I support the Second Amendment and all the amendments, but to me they are not without limits," she said. "I have faith, maybe unlike some of my colleagues, that the money collected from this tax will go to research on gun violence ... so I am going to vote no against this, and I do want to make it clear I am not asking anyone to have their guns taken away."

The resolution passed 11-1, with three legislators absent.

The excise tax bill remains in committee in both the Senate and Assembly.