Palmer Robinson, the Supreme Court Judge of Seattle's King County has sided with the city in passing a new law aimed at taxing sales of firearms and ammunition. The ruling, which was made on Tuesday, is considered as a huge blow on various gun advocate groups including the National Rifle Association or NRA, Business Insider reported.
Before the passing of the law, the NRA, joined by other pro-gun groups such as the Second Amendment Foundation and National Sports Foundation, filed a lawsuit against the city in an attempt to prevent the bill, dubbed as Gun Violence Tax, from being approved. The groups believed that the law is a form of gun control that will be imposed on owners and supporters of firearms.
The complainants noted that the new tax guidelines violate an existing law that prevents local governments from regulating the ownership of firearms. However, Judge Robinson noted that the bill is only focused on taxing gun-related sales and does not restrict gun ownership.
Under the new law, all firearms currently being sold will be taxed with $25. Also, each .22 caliber round will be subjected to a tax of $0.02 while higher calibers will be taxed at $0.05 per piece, Forbes reported.
According to the City Budget Office of Seattle, the government's revenue from the Gun Violence Tax will increase by an annual average of $300,000 to $500,000. This amount will then be used to fund projects aimed at preventing violence in the city and educating citizens regarding proper gun safety and ownership.
Shortly after the ruling was announced, Judge Robinson received praises from various groups that were rallying for the new tax law. However, the plaintiffs said that they will submit an appeal to counter the new law.
"We are disappointed and strongly disagree with (Robinson's) ruling, and we are confident that the state Court of Appeals will ultimately concur with our position," Alan Gottlieb, the founder of the Second Amendment Foundation said in a press statement according to the Seattle Times.
