Ill. lawmakers consider statewide ammo tax
Posted: 03.01.2012 at 4:41 PM
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QUINCY, ILL. -- If you're a competitive hunter you could start paying more for ammunition.

A proposed bill to the Illinois House of Representatives is imposing a two-percent sales tax increase on ammunition.

That money will go to help pay for trauma centers in high crime areas.

The bill is sponsored by State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago).

She says the bill could raise over one million dollars.

Still, local gun enthusiast aren't buying into the tax.

"Ammunition we're already paying a federal 11 percent tax on ammunition as it stands," Russell Merkel, manager at GameMasters gun department in Quincy said. "Then you add your sales tax of another seven and three quarters here in Quincy. I mean right there your already looking at 18 percent in taxes."

"So already I think taxes being levied on ammunition is substantial enough as it is."

Customers in Merkel's gun department were also unhappy with the proposal.

"The same amount of people are going to have their guns are going to shoot them less," Dan Ingersoll, a gun sportsman said. "It's going to hurt places that sell ammunition, it's going to hurt firing ranges and then honestly you'll have people not as experienced having their guns."

KHQA spoke with State Representative Jill Tracy regarding the proposed bill.

She said she strongly opposes it and doesn't see any good purpose to it.

 

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