Maryland Encoded Ammunition Tax for Regulated Firearms

[carebear]

The Second Amendment protects our weapons. NOTHING stops them from taxing ammo out of reach.

Not quite true. As was noted in the recent DC decision, if the 2nd is indeed an individual right then it protects the practical, not theoretical, use of those weapons.

In the case of DC they found that the requirement of the weapon being unloaded and locked up in reality made the weapon unusable for protection, which they held to be part of the meaning of "keep and bear".

So, if the 2nd is held to be individual, ammo bans, whether overt or "punitively taxed based", will be unConstitutional as well, as they also make the protected weapon and right of use impossible.

There is some logic and consistency in the law.

 

[22-rimfire]

If that thing passed, there sure might be a lot of ammo runs to Pennsylvania and Virginia. Bootlegged ammo in Maryland.

 

[Norton]

If that thing passed, there sure might be a lot of ammo runs to Pennsylvania and Virginia. Bootlegged ammo in Maryland.

There could be some serous ramifications to that. Since this is a tax bill, it would fall under the purvey of our comptroller, Peter Franchot, who is openly hostile to gun owners and has said that he plans to use his office as a bully pulpit to enact policy.

Taken to the nth extreme, those that possessed non-taxed/non-compliant ammunition could be facing very severe financial and incarceration penalties. Perhaps the would just start seizing houses.

 

[Loucks]

isnt it illegale to tax something twice? wouldnt you be paying state taxes already +the ammo tax of .5c per round!

No, although this is one of the nonsensical arguments some made/make against the estate tax. For example, my paycheck is taxed, then I turn around and pay sales tax when I spend the money. I feel lucky when I manage to geet away with only double taxation in this day and age! :banghead:

This is not to say that this proposed tax is by any means reasonable or constitutional, mind you.

 

[jpk1md]

Folks, the bill is written such that possesion on any non-encoded ammo after ~2010 is a crime.......

The good news is that since the bill was introduced late in the legislative session it has to go through a lot of "stuff" to be considered and will be a tough one to give legs this late in the session.

The sponsor has recieved calls from folks that also informed him that the same ammo used in SCAW's is used in bolt action hunting rifles and there is no way to distinguish between the two....the delegate had no idea......its a bad bill but I believe that even if it doesn't go anywhere this year we are likely to see it again.

 

[SWMAN]

"Just a partial list of calibers of firearms that will no longer have ammunition available if this thing passes:

Any handgun caliber - ANY!


.22lr
.223 Remington
.308 Winchester
12 gauge - all 12 gauge - read that again - all 12 gauge
7.62x39
.50BMG
6.5 Grendel (.264 cal)
6.8 SPC (.270 cal)
.300 Whisper
.45 Bushmaster
.458 SOCOM
.50 AE
.50 Beowulf

Furthermore, there is no way around the caliber restrictions because the minute that someone rechambers a "regulated firearm" for a new caliber, it is by definition banned.

"I'll just reload" - Think again....after 2010, the POSSESSION of ammunition not meeting the new requirements is forbidden. All such ammunition must be destroyed."

Have any of you contacted the various hunting groups, to include the pro-Brady AHSA, and Angus Philipps, hunting and fishing writer for the Washington Post and anti-NRA, as to their support for this stupidity?
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