Gavin Newsom signs California law doubling taxes on guns, ammo: 'A small price to pay.’
Governor also inked legislation overhauling state's previous rules for carrying concealed weapons.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law Tuesday that will double the taxes on guns and ammunition, with the new revenue going to safety initiatives.
The federal government collects excise taxes on purchases of firearms and ammunition at either 10% or 11%. The new law adds another 11% excise tax, meaning that Golden State residents can indirectly pay as much as 22%.
Newsom said that he saw the tax increase as a "pretty modest investment" in gun violence prevention and believes it will help toward "reducing those costs ultimately."
"The carnage, it’s too much. We can’t normalize it, we can’t accept it," Newsom said. "This is a small price to pay."
California is now the only state in the U.S. that has a special tax on gun purchases. Newsom also signed a law Tuesday that bans people from carrying guns in nearly every public space, which overhauls the state's previous rules for carrying concealed weapons.
The tax does not apply to police officers or to businesses that sell less than $5,000 worth of guns or ammo over a three-month period. The tax is projected to generate $159 million per year, with the money going to the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program and the State Department of Education.
The California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program runs initiatives that target young people in gangs and help them with life-coaching. The State Department of Education would use the money to improve security at schools and run after-school programs for at-risk students.
Another significant bill signed into law on Tuesday is SB 2, by Sen. Anthony Portantino, which will change the rules for carrying concealed weapons.
California’s new law requires permit holders to be 21, bans concealed weapons from most public places — parks, schools, government buildings, hospitals, and places where alcohol is sold, as well as at public demonstrations and gatherings.
The California Rifle and Pistol Association has already sued to block one new law Newsom signed on Tuesday that bans people from carrying guns in most public places. The law overhauls the state’s rules for concealed carry permits in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen.
Sen. Portantino said it is common sense to want to protect yourself with a concealed firearm, but that firearms may not be needed at a ballfield or at a restaurant.
“You as a responsible person with that permit will need to do a little work to know where it is allowed,” Portantino said.
Another new law will require that all pistols sold in the state beginning in 2028 have microstamping technology, which will leave unique markings on bullets that will make it easier to trace which weapon was used in a shooting.
The signings come just days after a Newsom-led campaign to amend the U.S. Constitution passed out of the California Legislature. The measure passed by legislators calls for a state Constitutional Convention to consider additional federal rules on firearms purchases and use, but two-thirds of states need to pass similar measures in order for the process to advance.
California has some of the lowest gun death rates in the country, ranking 43rd out of 50 states with 9 deaths for every 100,000 people, according to 2021 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But violent crimes have increased recently. The violent crime rate increased by 6.1% in 2022, according to the California Department of Justice.
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