Gun Lobby Suing Seattle Over Firearms Tax

Three national gun rights groups, and two local gun dealers, sued to block and overturn the $25 local tax on firearms purchases

2015-09-financial-transparency.jpg

By Joel Connelly

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Three major national gun rights groups, along with two local gun dealers, sued to block and overturn the $25 local tax on firearms purchases voted unanimously by the Seattle City Council earlier this month.

Using an analogy to the civil rights movement, Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, argued: “We’re battling what amounts to a poll tax on gun owners and retailers.”

The plaintiffs are again arguing that all local firearms measures are preempted by a 35-year-old law that gives the state authority over gun legislation. The law was used to overturn a previous city ban on packing heat in city parks.

The Gun Lobby has put firepower behind the suit. The plaintiffs include the National Rifle Association, the Second Amendment Foundation and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, along with two Seattle businesses, Outdoor Emporium and Precise Shooter.

Read full coverage here.