Florida Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Chris King dropped a TV ad aimed at current Governor Rick Scott (R). According to King, "Governor Rick Scott did nothing" when the Pulse Nightclub shooting took place in Orlando in June of 2016. King promises to take on the NRA.
Here's the ad:
Now, King proposes the "Every Kid Fund," which would:
• Invest in prevention and intervention programs.
• Invest in school safety measures.
• Implement programs to study and reduce the epidemic of gun violence.
• Reimburse trauma centers for medical costs of treating victims of mass shootings.
King says funding will come from:
• Implementing a six percent sales tax on the sale of ammunition. The only exception would be for law enforcement officers.
• Dedicating funds from said sales tax to implement the goals of the "Every Kid Fund."
• Utilizing additional funds from King’s “Turning the Tide” criminal justice plan, which would be generated by ending mass incarceration and legalizing, regulating and taxing marijuana.
“I’m proposing the ‘Every Kid Fund’ for Gun Violence Prevention because every child deserves to grow up in a state free from the scourge of gun violence, whether it’s everyday gun violence or mass shootings,” King said in a statement. “We should be investing in new and innovative ways to keep Floridians safe and that’s why I’ll bring my bold, progressive policy to Tallahassee and send ‘proud NRA sellouts’ like Adam Putnam packing.”
The candidate took to Twitter to advocate for his policy.
Everywhere I go, people ask me what we can do to end gun violence. Our communities have suffered for too long, and every kid deserves to grow up in a world free from gun violence. That's why I'm releasing my latest proposal: the "Every Kid Fund" for Gun Violence Prevention. pic.twitter.com/cFXoKTNFvC
— Chris King (@ChrisKingFL) June 1, 2018
The “Every Kid Fund” will provide for prevention and intervention programs, school safety, designated and official trauma centers, and research to treat gun violence like the public health epidemic it is. And here’s how we’ll pay for it:
— Chris King (@ChrisKingFL) June 1, 2018
We’ll redirect the sales taxes from guns and ammunition sales to the fund, alongside a 6% “safety fee” on ammunition sales. We’ll draw additional revenues for the fund from our criminal justice reforms — legalizing marijuana and reducing mass incarceration.
— Chris King (@ChrisKingFL) June 1, 2018
Something like this has never been done in our state, but that can’t stop us. We need big, bold solutions because no parent should live with the fear that their child could be struck down by gun violence. No child should grow up with that same fear. It’s time to move forward.
— Chris King (@ChrisKingFL) June 1, 2018
King was previously photographed on the Tallahassee Capitol steps during the #NeverAgain gun control march. Apparently he thinks the NRA would (for some reason) want to back him financially.
He also participated in gun control marches in the Sunshine State.
Joining old friends and new in the fight against gun violence this weekend.
— Chris King (@ChrisKingFL) June 2, 2018
Here in Orlando, we #WearOrange for the folks who can't. Because too many families are incomplete. And because we are done accepting the unacceptable. pic.twitter.com/jZtROI8Sbm
The Slippery Slope
Placing a tax on the sale of firearms and ammo is a really, really scary slippery slope, and something that I would argue as unconstitutional. The Supreme Court ruled that a poll tax is illegal during the Harper v. Board of Education case. The reason? A poll tax would infringe on a person's fundamental rights and liberties.
The same principle applies here with the Second Amendment. Placing an additional tax on firearms and ammo can make being a gun owner unobtainable for low income folks. The additional tax could be used as a means of pricing people out of gun ownership altogether. How do we know that the tax will stay at just six percent? How do we know that they won't up it to eight, 10 or even 12 percent? There's absolutely nothing keeping politicians from essentially using an excise tax as a new form of gun control.
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