Bullet Tax & Open Carry Ban
As predicted the last few months, Democrat lawmakers are starting to file a flurry of radical gun control measures to gin up their base before the 2020 elections.
And at the end of last week, State Representative Cynthia Johnson (D-HD 5) filed legislation taxing ammunition by the bullet and effectively a complete ban on the open carry of firearms in the state of Michigan.
House Bill 5094 would effectively ban the open carry of lawfully possessed firearms in the state of Michigan — except members of the National Guard, active duty military or law enforcement and only when carrying in the line of duty.
Banning and criminalizing open carry will have ZERO effect on crime, but will lead to more otherwise law-abiding citizens getting arrested and thrown in jail for accidentally running afoul of yet another ridiculous gun control scheme.
Apparently when Democrat lawmakers talk about the need for “criminal justice reform,” it doesn’t apply to gun owners.
Many seem pretty well set on making it as difficult as possible to legally carry a firearm for self-defense, with harsh penalties for even the smallest of violations.
As if making carrying a firearm legally for self-defense as difficult as possible wasn’t enough, Rep. Johnson also wants to make it as expensive as possible with her 10% bullet tax in House Bill 5095.
This is not a 10% tax per box of ammunition, but rather a tax on each and every bullet.
The state of Michigan, specifically the Michigan State Police, already makes a massive profit on the backs of gun owners through the 4th highest fees in the nation to obtain and maintain a Concealed Pistol License.
Now Rep. Johnson wants to further tax your rights through this ludicrous excise tax on ammunition.
This isn’t about stopping crime. It’s never been about stopping crime.
Even with attempts to wrap their gun control proposals in approval from obviously biased journalists and junk science funded by the Gun Control Lobby, the average Michigander can see through their schemes.
This is about making it as difficult as possible for good, law-abiding citizens to possess and carry legally-owned firearms in the state of Michigan.
The truth is, thankfully, neither of these bills stand a real chance of gaining traction in the Legislature.
But just the mere existence of these two bills, and the swarm of bills that is sure to follow, should serve as a reminder that there is a war on guns in our country and that the other side is playing for keeps.
The Gun Control Lobby has dropped their facade of supporting “reasonable” restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms.
They are going all out for gun confiscation, gun bans, and just the outright criminalizing of gun ownership.
Moms Demand Action made that clear during their testimony against House Bill 4434 where their lobbyist publicly testified that it is reasonable to lock up a Michigander for five years in jail for failing to renew their expired CPL.
The 19 Democrat State Representatives who voted against HB 4434 made it clear that they are fine with ruining the lives of CPL holders in their districts with a five year felony and thousands of dollars in legal fees for a paperwork violation.
After all, it is in the areas Democrat lawmakers represent where CPL holders are made examples of the most by overzealous anti-gun prosecutors looking to make a name for themselves on their way to higher office.
We’ve got a long road ahead if we are going to unravel Michigan’s gun control status quo.
It’s long past time our laws start respecting the Second Amendment and Article I, Section 6 of the Michigan Constitution by no longer treating gun owners like criminals.
This can only be done by shooting down these absurd anti-gun proposals like HB 5094 and 5095, and by pushing for solid pro-gun legislation like Constitutional Carry and the repeal of Michigan’s pistol registration scheme.
But that’s only possible with your help and the help of pro-gun Michiganders across the state.
For Freedom,
Brenden Boudreau
Executive Director
Great Lakes Gun Rights