Bills that would waive the 4-percent sales tax on purchases of firearms won approval in House and Senate committees Monday, according to The Advocate .
House Bill 128 by state Rep Cameron Henry, R-Jefferson, authorizes “an annual ‘sales tax holiday’ for the purchase of firearms during Second Amendment Weekend.” The bill would exempt purchases up to $2,500 for shotguns, rifles, pistols, revolvers and other hand guns. Second Amendment Weekend is defined in the bill as the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. A broader bill in the Senate — SB52 by Sen. Rob Marionneaux, D-Grosse Tete — would also exempt ammunition and hunting supplies and would be held in September.
According to The Advocate account, the legislation isn’t sitting well with some lawmakers:
State Rep. Roy Burrell, D-Shreveport, and a few other legislators expressed concern about making tax holidays for guns.
“I guess I’m a little bit miffed as to why it’s just firearms,” Burrell said in Monday’s House ways and Means Committee meeting. “Are you using tax-exempt status to support a political issue?
“It’s encouraging putting more guns on the street,” he added.
Movement of the bills coincides with passage by a House committee last week of a bill that would allow people with concealed carry permits to carry firearms on college campuses. It will be debated this week in the full House.
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