Well, here's some good news from the courtroom for a change. Colorado's attempt to slap a 6.5% tax on guns and ammo just got a black eye, and I'm all here for it.
For those who haven't been paying attention, Colorado voters passed Proposition KK back in 2024, which added this new tax on top of the existing state sales tax and those pesky federal excise taxes that we already deal with. The Firearms Policy Coalition, Colorado State Shooting Association, and the NRA sued, calling it what it truly is - an infringement on our rights through taxation.
Now here's where it gets interesting. The District Attorney for El Paso County tried to get dismissed from the lawsuit, arguing the plaintiffs didn't have standing to sue him. But District Court Judge Andrew McCallin saw through that nonsense. He ruled that Magnum Shooting Center of Colorado Springs - one of the plaintiffs - has plenty of standing because they'd face prosecution if they refused to collect this unconstitutional tax. That's exactly right. You shouldn't have to risk going to jail to defend your rights in court.
Look, I get that 6.5% doesn't sound like much to some folks. But let's do the math. That $500 handgun? After state sales tax (2.9%), the new state gun tax (6.5%), and the federal excise tax (10% for handguns), you're looking at $547 out the door. And if you want an AR-15? That $600 purchase becomes $656, plus you've got to factor in the new mandatory training class Colorado now requires.
These taxes are designed to price people out of exercising their Second Amendment rights. They're treating firearms like luxuries instead of what they really are - essential tools for self-defense and a fundamental constitutional right.
The case will now proceed, and that's a win for all of us who believe the government shouldn't be able to tax our rights into oblivion.