By: José Niño

Pennsylvania Republican State Rep. Thomas Murt is advancing a permit requirement for ammunition purchases taking place in the state.

The legislation in question, HB 2344, has been referred to Pennsylvania’s House Judiciary Committee. AWR Hawkins of Breitbart News noted the bill features in its memo that its purported goal is, “Addressing Gun Violence and Enhancing Public Health and Safety.”

Page 21 of the bill, which is 25 pages long, breaks down what Murt’s proposed “Ammunition Purchase Authorization Permits” entail:

“A person holding an ammunition purchase authorization permit issued under this section may purchase or otherwise seek the transfer of ownership of ammunition from a retailer that sells ammunition.”

The proposed permits under HB 2344 would be valid for four years and comes with a fee “not to exceed $50.”

On top of mandating state residents to acquire a permit to buy ammo, Murt’s legislation establishes a surcharge for gun and ammo sales:

“There is hereby imposed on each sale of a firearm or ammunition subject to tax under Article II of the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971, an additional surcharge of $3. This shall be referred to as the Firearm and Ammunition Sale Surcharge.”

Although it’s abundantly clear that the Democratic Party is the anti-gun party in America, there are many secret gun grabbers in the Republican Party. The letter after a politician’s name does not guarantee they will protect our Second Amendment rights. We should always keep this in mind when reviewing our respective state legislature’s actions.

José Niño is a Venezuelan American freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. Sign up for his mailing list here. Contact him via Facebook, Twitter, or email him at [email protected]. Get his e-book, The 10 Myths of Gun Control, here.