Tax collected on the sale of ammunition and guns would go into a “Safe Schools Trust Fund,” to pay for additional guidance services and school safety measures under legislation filed in the House.
Freshman Rep. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, filed two bills on Friday creating the trust fund and directing revenue from the existing tax on guns and ammo into it.
One of the bills filed by Stewart (HB 325), would also expand the ban on carrying guns at schools – widening the prohibition from school buildings to an area within 500 feet of a school – but would allow people to check their guns, exempting them from prosecution if they turn their gun in to someone when they arrive at a school.
While prohibiting the carrying of guns within the 500-foot buffers known as “school safety zones,” Stewart’s bill would allow anyone who is in such a zone to surrender their gun to a law enforcement officer or school official and not be charged under the ban, as long as they haven’t used the gun to violate the law in some way first.
The legislation also would require school districts to add school safety issues to their guidance plans for students in kindergarten through grade 5.
The money collected from the tax on guns and ammo sales would go to help pay for the additional guidance requirements and to pay for any expenses related to the change in the law prohibiting guns on school grounds.
If any money is left over, under one of Stewart’s bills (HB 327) it could go to “additional projects and programs to improve the safety of students,” though the bill doesn’t specify how.
Stewart’s proposal is likely to be only the first proposing to increase spending on school safety in the wake of the December school shootings in Newtown, Conn. The Senate last week discussed in committee some ideas for increasing school safety and how to pay for it.
The Senate appears likely to focus on school resource officers, police assigned to guard schools. But there was also talk of additional guidance counselors last week in the Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee.
–David Royse, News Service of Florida
Bob Z. says
Since they already tax items such as cigarettes I don’t see why they cannot tax items such as guns & ammo – I am all for it.
David says
Ok here is my problem with this 500′ zone.
1st. What if you live right door to the school or with in the 500′ zone?
2nd. If you are driving on a road with in 500′ and have a gun in you car and meet the laws to have it there?
3rd. you have a gun in your car and picking up you kids from school again meet the laws to have it there?
This law should be with in school grounds not 500′ outside of it and should state on your person.
As for the “TAX” I am good with that and would go as far as adding a feed to gun shows at the gate (say $5.00 per person) to go to the funding.
David says
As for the “TAX” I am good with that and would go as far as adding a feed to gun shows at the gate (say $5.00 per person) to go to the funding.
Yellowstone says
Now this could be interesting . .
Suppose they tax the heck out of all weapons and their accessories of mass human destruction?
As an example, I remember once paying 18-cents for a pack of twenty cigarettes and 25-cents for a gallon of gas. Today you pay an ‘arm and a leg’ for tobacco. Why? Not because it is more expensive to produce, but because it was the only successful way to inhibit the masses from consumption.
“Tax them to the limit”, they gleefully say. Keep Florida green by sending your money to Tally.
Merrill says
We should all support this legislation by contacting Rep. Travis Hutson and urging him to get behind it. Years ago, then New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan opposed taxes on guns! He was pushing his bill to create a 2000% tax on ammunition! Why not here? Why not now?
Geezer says
Ammo prices are obscene already from all the confiscation speculation.
Let’s not stimulate yet another ammo-run at the stores by the hoarders with talk of more taxes.
This benefits all the wrong people.
Some ammo prices have quadrupled and quintupled already.
The 500′ gun-free zone is window dressing.
If I’m jogging/walking/bicycling/driving and safely carrying a concealed pistol–do I have to
stop and go another direction? Oh oh, another school! Back up, turn…
It makes more sense to ban cars than guns within this 500-foot boundary.
Aren’t you more likely to get run over by an inattentive driver than shot by a legally owned gun?
Let’s ban cellphone usage in cars first. BAN TEXTING!
That would certainly save thousands of lives a year nationally.
Then we can talk about the 500′ gun-free zones.
Just my two cents….
b moisao says
Why not let law abiding citizens carry guns on school property if they have CWL!
Taxman says
I say a TAX on female makeup and hair products. Then more TAX on bicycles and the biking accessories.
Next, TAX on birth control pills and sexual toys.EXTRA TAX on all politicians regardless of their party. Maybe a TAX on everyone who uses a cell phone. I know… a $100 dollar per year TAX on everyone who uses a computer……
kmedley says
So taxing guns and ammo will pay for “Safe Schools Trust Fund” just like the lottery paid for school supplies? Really? Then why am I asked to buy supplies on a list and send them in only to have them collected by the teacher and distributed to others?
rthomp11 says
We already do, it’s called “sales tax”. And we have a extra government tax on the cell phone to pay for the Obama phone for everyone who has one of those. I pay enough tax! And my taxes support enough people who don’t belong in this country legally in the first place. I DO NOT WANT TO PAY EXTRA TAX ON MY GUNS AND AMMO!!!
I am an American! Where are my rights and liberties as an American!!
Paul Medford says
The 500 foot buffer is a bad idea. Extending rules beyond property lines, I think, in general is a bad idea. Why shouldn’t a permit holder be allowed to drop their kids off on their way to work, or simply pass by a school in the course of daily movement. As we have already seen, these type of laws only restrict law abiding people.
Nancy N. says
Taxman – we do tax everyone who uses cellphones and computers – they are called telecommunications taxes and you pay them in your cellphone and internet service bills.
Also, do you realize that over half of women who take birth control pills take them for medical reasons? How about we start taxing your viagra, or even better, your prostate medication?
Most commenters seem to have overlooked that the tax referred to in the bill already exists and the bill is simply redirecting its revenue to schools. My question is…what is getting that money now that is going to get hurt if this bill passes? There’s a trade-off happening here, and we should know what it is before deciding if the bill is a good idea or not.
Although I usually love gun restrictions, I agree that the 500′ change is probably untenable from a legal standpoint since it would likely make it illegal for some people to have weapons on their own private property.
TEED off says
Hey Bob they already tax guns and ammo .I suggest we find some thing you enjoy and tax the heck out of it.And see how you like it
Riley says
If you want to play, you have got to pay. Taxes on guns and ammo is a great idea.
Deep South says
Why are you proposing a tax. Some of the most law abiding citizens are gun owners. The real problem is to get the guns out of the wrong hands. Perhaps creating a registration system similar to vehicles rre installing a password lock device
J NeJame says
It is amazing how we have gone from children as the main concern to “assault weapons”, ammo, guns and taxes as the topic.
“Assault weapon”; if one has a pencil and attacks another with it, the pencil is an assault weapon; if one uses that pencil to defend against an attack, that pencil is a defensive weapon. In 1968 (Viet Nam) the US Marines were ordered to carry their military issued M16s with an empty chamber and only shoot if shot at by the enemy. That rendered all those military weapons as defensive weapons. It is not the inanimate object that determines it’s classification but the way in which it is used.
As for HB327; it is a way to tell the public they can not protect or defend themselves and Government is the answer. It starts out with pork for social services instead of the concern for the safety for children.
Any one, who wants to do harm will never be concerned or limited by law or rules and to give an open invitation to criminals or the mentally challenged by advertising to them that there is no protection within 500 feet of a school is in itself criminal. There are some who will use children for an agenda, (to erode away our 2nd and 5th amendment rights), with little thought or care for those children themselves.
IMO says
By your reasoning we should have a tax on the sale of condoms to fund AIDS research.
How about a tax that everyone has to pay to protect our children rather than a tax a select group of people.
This suggestion is nonsense. People will simply buy ammunition in adjoining States or a black market will develop.
Samuel Smith says
I know this tax is morally reprehensible to those of you that are Tea Party advocates, so my advice is to boycott the tax by not buying guns and ammo.
[email protected] says
its amazing how a lot of people are avoiding an increase in mental health funding, my wife was a psychiatric nurse for several years and what she observed was that lets keep them drugged up all day, its cheaper
Nancy N. says
Ok, let’s try this again….all of you people ranting about how we can’t tax guns and ammo, please read the article’s wording. THIS IS NOT A NEW TAX being proposed! The tax already exists!
“Freshman Rep. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, filed two bills on Friday creating the trust fund and directing revenue from the existing tax on guns and ammo into it.”
Please note the use of the word “existing” in this sentence! This bill is not creating a new tax on guns or ammo! It’s simply redirecting the revenue from a tax that is already in effect to a newly created trust fund for school purposes.
Which is why I want to know who is getting that tax money now? Who will be losing out? The money is going somewhere right now…
Bertram says
meanwhile gun and ammo dealers & manufacturers are laughing their way to the bank all from some idiots paranoia of the gubmint taking away their gunz.
Karma says
Last summer the federal government put out bids for the purchase of millions of rounds of ammunition. This ammunition was not for the military, but for the IRS,Homeland Security and the Treasury Dept. Maybe it is time for these same ammunition manufactures to refuse sale of there product to the US government.
The government does not pay any taxes on this ammunition, but you should? Again, your hypocrite government at work and low information voter right in step with them.
ANONYMOUSAY says
@ b moisao says:
January 23, 2013 at 3:57 pm
Why not let law abiding citizens carry guns on school property if they have CWL!
How about WRONG, That’s the problem concealed gun owners think their the new law enforcement. It’s supposed-ed law abiding citizens responsible for these mass shootings. People just like you.
Mel Bronson says
Another socialist leftist comes up with the idea of TAXING!!!
Is there a genetic defect in the liberal peanut brain? Their answer to everything is MORE TAXES, MORE RESTRICTIONS, MORE LAWS, LESS FREEDOM and LESS LIBERTY.
All you liberals are truly working to destroy America and everything she stands for.