Governor Newsom and the State of California continue to demonize and punish gun owners and enthusiasts for the acts committed by criminals that the state refuses to hold accountable. A significant tax that will balloon the cost of firearms ownership and use goes into effect today. Assembly Bill 28 mandates an 11% excise tax on firearms and ammunition. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what this means for Californians and why more of them should get out of the state and avoid its steady collapse.

How Does the New California Tax Work?

Assembly Bill 28, officially misnamed as the Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act because it does none of those things, imposes an 11% tax on the gross receipts from retail sales of firearms, firearm precursor parts and ammunition. This tax is in addition to the existing 10% to 11% federal excise tax that sellers already pay, which funds wildlife conservation efforts. That federal tax, also known as the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, has been in effect since 1937, and has been heralded for funding wildlife conservation success in all 50 states. This new tax however comes off as onerous and it is doubtful funds will be used for much more than a continual social attack on gun owners.

The bill, authored by Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel (D-Woodland Hills), managed to pass after previous attempts to introduce similar legislation had failed. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law in September 2023, marking another significant attack on the state’s legally gun-owning citizens.

Where Does the Money Go?

The revenue generated from this new tax will be directed to the Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Fund. According to AB 28, these funds must be used for a variety of gun violence prevention, education, research, response and investigation programs, all of which despite being categorized is ambiguously defined.

Specifically, the funds will be allocated to the Board of State and Community Corrections to support California Violence Intervention and Prevention grants and programs. Additionally, some of the money may go to the California Department of Education to enhance school safety measures, including security improvements and educational programs. Other potential beneficiaries include firearm relinquishment grants, victims of gun violence grants, and informational gun safety initiatives aka anti-gun propaganda.

Additional New Law Affecting Cali Gun Owners

The new tax isn’t the only law going into effect today in California that nibbles away at gun rights. Starting today, another California law requires credit card networks like Visa and Mastercard to provide banks with special retail codes that can be assigned to gun stores to track their sales. This measure is part of a broader effort to enhance monitoring and regulation of firearm transactions in the state. Critics wisely argue the law creates a de facto gun registry, and indeed, more liberty-minded states such as Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee, Iowa and Wyoming have passed laws outlawing such practices by banking institutions in their states.