The city council of Seattle has voted 8-0 to approve a tax on the purchase of firearms and ammunition.  Beginning next year, purchasers of guns will be charged $25 per firearm and between 2 and 5 cents per round of ammunition.

The tax will raise between $300K and $500K, according to supporters.  The money will be used to magically reduce gun violence through education and "gun safety."

TheBlaze:

“Every day, the general public pays the enormous cost of gun violence. Gun violence is a public health crisis in our city and our nation,” Council President Tim Burgess said in a statement. “City government can and must pursue innovative gun safety measures that save lives and save money. As it has in other areas of policy, Seattle can lead the way in local solutions.

“A gun violence tax will give us revenue to provide broad-based benefits through research and prevention programs,” he added.

Opponents of this legislation don’t believe it will hold in court though and plan to sue. KOMO-TV cited a state law that “prohibits local governments from adopting laws related to firearms unless those local ordinances are specifically authorized by state law.”

Alan Gottlieb, co-founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, told the news station that because the city council’s measure is “not authorized by the state … it’s not going to hold up [in court.]” City Attorney Pete Holmes, however, told KOMO that the legislation is allowed because it falls under the city’s authority to tax.

Gun shop owners believe the tax — $25 for each firearm and between 2 to 5 cents for each round of ammo — will hurt their businesses.

“The only real purpose of this legislation is to run gun stores out of Seattle,” Sergey Solyanik, owner of Price Shooter, told KOMO.

The idea that this tax will raise half a million dollars is absurd.  Why would someone buy a gun or ammunition in Seattle if he can travel a short distance to the suburbs and buy it for less? 

I'm sure the good little liberals in Seattle are proud of themselves.  Of course, the people whom the tax should apply to – violent criminals – won't pay a dime.  Only law-abiding residents will be hit with this ridiculous tax.

Is Seattle planning to "educate" gangbangers about the danger of guns?  That's a session I'd love to sit in on.  And how much are they going to spend on discovering that the criminal element in the city are the ones who cause gun violence?

Logic and reason have no place in the council's deliberations – only the satisfaction of leftists that they can stick it to gun owners.