Tomorrow, Thursday, March 5, HB 197, the so-called “Comprehensive Community Safety Funding Act,” which imposes an 11% excise tax on the gross receipts of firearms dealers for the sale of all firearms, Tomorrow, Thursday, March 5, HB 197, the so-called “Comprehensive Community Safety Funding Act,” which imposes an 11% excise tax on the gross receipts of firearms dealers for the sale of all firearms, ammunition, and firearm accessories, returns, and is scheduled for a hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee. The monies from the excise tax will go towards funding programs whose sole purpose is to prevent gun violence and support research, healing, and recovery.
Use the Take Action button to contact the committee and urge them to vote “No” on HB 197. While its supporters use the language of public safety, this bill is a direct assault on the law-abiding sportsmen and gun owners of Maryland.
Why We Must Oppose Maryland HB 197
- It Targets the Law-Abiding: This tax doesn’t penalize criminals; it penalizes the hunters, target shooters, and homeowners who follow the law. It treats law-abiding citizens like a piggy bank to fund state programs.
- A Tax on Conservation: By driving up the cost of ammunition and gear, this bill will inevitably lead to fewer Marylanders participating in hunting and shooting sports. This threatens the very funding model for conservation that our community has proudly supported for decades.
- Pricing Out the Next Generation: An additional 11% tax on top of existing sales taxes and federal taxes will price young hunters and low-income families out of the field.
How to Watch the HB 197 Hearing
The committee is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in the House Office Building, room 130 in Annapolis. If you are unable to attend the hearing in person, you can watch online. On the day of the hearing, click on the button below and look for a red “Live!” camera icon next to the House Ways and Means Committee listing.
Mobilizing the Maryland Sportsman Community
Pass this along to your family, friends, and every fellow hunter or firearm owner you know. We can’t afford to be the “silent majority.” While our opponents are well-funded and banking on our indifference, we cannot afford to stay on the sidelines. When we mobilize, we send an unmistakable message: Maryland’s sportsmen and women are the primary stewards of our wildlife and natural resources, not the cause of firearm violence in our state.
It is fundamentally unjust to force law-abiding citizens to bear the financial burden of programs meant to address the actions of criminals. We refuse to be treated as a “piggy bank” for the state or to accept a financial barrier to our constitutional rights and sporting heritage.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing, and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler, and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square, and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions. Stay connected to the Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
