The Finance Subcommittee #2 advanced an 11% excise tax on firearm and ammunition manufacturers (HB 919) by a 7-2 vote despite constitutional objections, while unanimously tabling a companion suppressor tax (HB 207) and also killing a vending machine tax reduction (HB 1362) by a 7-2 vote; a car tax relief bill (HB 566) saw its final vote cut off by the transcript.
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Delegate Garrett argued, citing Harper v. Board of Education, Murdoch v. Pennsylvania, Follett v. McCormick, Minneapolis Star Tribune vs. Minnesota Commissioner of the Revenue, and Pfizer v. Randall, that taxing a constitutionally protected right is unconstitutional and that the committee would end up in litigation and lose; she also stated 'sometimes we carry bills to make political points, but this we can't do it.' Delegate Lopez countered that a federal excise tax on firearms already exists, placing states in 'a pretty safe harbor when it comes to potential litigation,' and Delegate Cole argued the bill was justified by rising community violence costs.
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“Suppressors are hearing protection devices, plain and simple. Imposing attacks on these safety devices is no different than imposing attacks on seat belts or airbags. It will disproportionately impact working class Virginians who can neither afford the tax nor the subsequent cost of necessary hearing aids.”
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Sign in to subscribeGood afternoon, Subcommittee 2, Finance. Subcommittee 2, come to order. Subcommittee will go. At ease. Good afternoon. Subcommittee 2 for Finance will come to order. Clerk, open the roll. Members, cast your attendance on the voting board. All right, we have a quorum. Clerk, close roll. All right. Good afternoon, everyone. So here on our docket on today, we have lots of bills that have created such robust conversations, especially within all of our inboxes, our voicemails, et cetera. However, we're gonna make sure that we not only lift up the voices that have committed to testify, but do it in an orderly fashion. So follow our lead as we guide folks on how things are gonna go within this subcommittee. So the first thing I want to do is to have three patrons to. Well, we'll have one patron to come up, and then we'll have two others that are similar to come up. And I first want to call on our sup. To member Karen Keys Gamara, you can do it. Right where you are to present House Bill 207. You have the floor. Thank you, Madam Chair. The bill, as currently submitted, actually has a substitute. It…
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