Look, I'm going to be straight with you. California just slapped an 11% excise tax on every firearm and ammunition sale in the state, and it's essentially a backdoor way to make your Second Amendment rights too expensive to exercise. That's exactly what they're doing, and the Second Amendment Foundation just filed a motion for summary judgment to shut it down.
Assembly Bill 28 went into effect back in July 2024, and it's exactly what it sounds like - a punish-tax aimed at gun owners. The tax hits every "firearm, firearm precursor part, or ammunition" sold by licensed dealers in California. Plaintiffs in the case are Poway Weapons & Gear and Sacramento Gun Range, and honestly, these are the folks fighting for all of us.
Here's the thing that really gets me: Bill Sack from SAF put it perfectly when he said fundamental rights cannot be hidden behind a paywall. The Supreme Court has been crystal clear - you can't single out conduct protected by a constitutional right for special taxation. The right to keep and bear arms is meaningless if the government can just price you out of the market. And here's the scary part - if they can tax at 11%, they can tax at 150%. California lawmakers have made it abundantly clear they hate your gun rights and love taxes, exactly like they do with gas and cigarettes.
Alan Gottlieb called California the "primordial ooze" where new gun-grabbing tactics are born, and he's right. If this tax survives, you better believe every anti-gun state in America will copy it. That's why this case matters so much - it's not just about California, it's about stopping this tactic from going national.
The motion makes a crucial point: the Second Amendment isn't a second-class right, subject to different rules than the rest of the Bill of Rights. The same precedents that protect your free speech and religion should protect your right to own a firearm.
We're watching this one closely. If SAF wins, gun owners nationwide get a win. If California gets away with this, get ready for your local anti-gun politicians to try the same thing.