Bullet Tax Proposal Robs Chicago Sportsmen

Posted on October 19, 2012

Cook County, Illinois Board of Commissioners President Toni Preckwinkle is proposing a so-called “violence tax” in her budget plan for the County.  The unjustified and ill-conceived attack includes a five- cent tax on every bullet and a $25 tax on every firearm sold within the County.  According to the Associated Press, the tax would be on gun dealers, rather than customers.  Either way, sportsmen will pay a higher cost to hunt and shoot.

Under the proposal, some ammunition prices could see increases of more than 50 percent.  A case of shotshells would cost an extra $12.50 and a brick of .22 cartridges would go up a jaw-dropping $25.

“The Commissioner claims to be worried about crime,” said Evan Heusinkveld, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance director of state services.  “While this proposal does nothing to curb violence, it is government sanctioned robbery of law abiding sportsmen. Not to mention, it will run local gun stores out of business who won’t be able to compete with prices in neighboring counties.”

According to Commissioner Preckwinkle, no other county or city in the country taxes gun owners this way.

Sportsmen should contact the Cook County Board of Commissioners and ask them to protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners by voting against the bullet and firearm tax proposal.

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