Sen. Cynthia Creem. You can contact her at [email protected].
A Massachusetts lawmaker has proposed a bill that would almost double the taxes on firearms sales in The Bay State.
Introduced by state Sen. Cynthia Creem (D-Newtown), SD 1884 would raise the tax on firearms and ammunition to 10 percent, adding an additional 4.75 percent tax to the already existing 6.25 percent tax. The new revenue would go to a grant program for “municipal violence prevention programs.”
Creem’s legislation would also ban .50 caliber firearms, call for the adoption of smart-gun technology, and criminalize private transfers, i.e. require background checks for sales between private citizens.
“I want to make it harder and harder to get guns in and get guns into the hands of people who shouldn’t have them,” Creem told WickedLocal.com reports.
“Some of these are just common-sense thoughts,” she added. “This is not telling people they cannot have a gun. I have great concerns over private gun sales, where we don’t utilize the national instant background check system.”
Rep. Lou Kafka (D-Stoughton) expressed concern about the bill and its reception within the gun community.
“I’ve heard from gun owners that are against the bill,” Kafka said. “They feel they are being picked on because they are gun owners.”
Kafka said that the majority of gun owners are conscientious about when it comes to exercising their right to keep and bear arms.
“I can understand their apprehension about the bill as far as doubling their taxes,” Kafka said.
The sentiment was echoed by Jim Wallace, the executive director of the Massachusetts Gun Owners Action League (GOAL) who argued that the bill was unnecessary and misguided, further noting that it will not address the real causes of gun violence.
“Has there ever been a crime committed with a .50-caliber firearm in Massachusetts? What’s the problem we’re trying to solve?” he said. “Is it political, perceived or real? It seems it’s always been political.”
But despite Wallace’s very poignant question, Creem disagrees. “I can’t see a credible reason why a civilian needs that kind of firearm,” she said.
Wallace went on to explain that .50 caliber rifles are popular with long distance sports shooters.
“If it’s the government talking to the citizens, then the government has to come up with substantial reasons to ban anything,” he said. “It’s on them to prove without a shadow of a doubt that these things should not be in the hands of civilians. It’s incumbent on the government to prove its case.”
Wallace is right. The whim and unlettered opinion of a politician is not enough of a reason to infringe on a fundamental right. That includes all of what she is purposing in the legislation, from banning the .50 cal to taxing firearm and ammo sales to high heaven.
Massachusetts residents and other Second Amendment supporters should contact Sen. Creem (see info below) to let her know exactly how they feel about SD 1884.
State House
24 Beacon St.
Room 312A
Boston, MA, 02133
Phone: 617-722-1639
Fax: 617-722-1266
Please correct, she is from Newton, not Newtown (CT school massacre place).
I understand that stupid people are often afraid of what they do not know. I do not understand why these people became senators?
CHUCKY SCHUMER, DEMOCRATIC SENATOR FROM NEW YORK, IS A SNIVELING MORON !!! Picture this, a sniveling moron named a SCHUMER, is trying to block the confirmation of one of the best qualified people ever nominated to be a Supreme Court Justice. The confirmation of NEIL GORSUCH, the PRESIDENT TRUMP NOMINEE, is trying to be blocked by a few Republican betrayers and nearly the whole damn bunch of democratic sniveling morons !!!! If this happens, democrats will be damned by U.S. citizens as the sorriest damned excuses for American politicians to have ever lived !!!!
I wish this was not the case but I am sure it is. The Dem Establishment and gun controllers, especially in the states of Massachusetts and California, are out for vengeance, harassment and obstruction to deny Second Amendment rights as usual. In Massachusetts, Dem Senator Creem and other Dem politicians are making an effort to inhibit gun sales by raising the tax on a gun by $100. They will say and do all they can to degrade those who believe in the Second Amendment. The Dems cannot accept losing an election. This is already obvious on the TV fake news media. Their effort to ostracize believers of the Second Amendment will continue as though nothing has changed. Americans who understand and approve the Second Amendment should use every opportunity to criticize the biased Dem news media and biased Dems. They will not slack off and will continue to do as they have done for many years and that is to use any means to win their gun control issue. Hopefully, President Trump and the Republicans and the updated Supreme Court will definitively stop the obnoxious gun controllers. Regretfully, we need to emphatically continue the fight to stop the obnoxious biased news media and obnoxious biased Dems in states such as Massachusetts and California and obnoxious biased supporters such as Soros and Bloomberg. I have noticed that Republican Arizona senator John McCain is not very supportive of President Trump. His comments are subtly indignant as though he has a grudge. We do not need this. Republicans should support President Trump and the Republican effort to restore the U.S. to what it was before the deranged, obnoxious Dems and that means reforming the Dem Establishment. All Republicans should be supportive.
Hey here’s a better LEFTY LIB idea! How about we just ban alcohol? After all, alcohol is responsible for more deaths a year than guns, and liver disease, domestic violence, etc, etc, etc. After all, no one really NEEDS alcohol right? And it’s not a constitutional right to have alcohol. Just ban it outright and most of the problems will be solved. Oh wait…that didn’t work out so well the first time around did it?
(Before anyone starts lambasting me with mean comments…please note: The above comment is MEANT to be sarcastic.)
Getting just like. CA……. times for firearm manufacturers to pack up and leave! Or you Gun owners in that State really stand up for your rights! Make lots of noise!
Typical of the LEFT legislation that won’t stop anything and increase purchase tax slowly so that eventually only the rich can afford to buy guns. Anyone can see that this has nothing to do with public safety … It’s all about power and control.
You mean to tell me that a Democrat, left-leaning career politician and former lawyer wants to raise gun tax (read penalties) ? I’m in shock! And it’s for such a good cause – crime prevention! Because that’s how crime prevention works – yes, it has worked every time it has been proposed and every time it has been implemented! Just like the war on drugs, or the war on poverty – look how well all that has turned out! Total victory! Massachusetts, one of the original 13 Colonies, can finally become RED! Before Cynthia Creem was born, concerned Americans began the House Un-American Activities Committee. Mrs. Creem would have been investigated by the Committee, had it still been in existence. Sadly, traitors like Creem live among us and instead of finding a retirement home (she’s 74 years old!), she’s involved in politics – because we need senile Communist seniors to tell us what to do!
You just can’t keep a Bad Liberal down! As far as the tax goes, that’s ignorant, and she simply wants more taxes in an overtaxed State and figures to target a select group that she believes fears raising a stink. (wrong!) And when it comes to an NICS check on private sales, how does she plan to know when it happens? That is probably the dumbest aspect of this Ladies bill so far. (the fact you can legally build your own gun from kits like Glock makes most of this Irrelevant and untraceable!) While there are some decent Liberals working for the good of Americans, and Hunters, and 2nd amendment rights, they seem to be far outweighed by the likes of her, or Missouri’s McCaskill, and let’s not leave out CA. We must always be active and alert like walking in the Desert for Snakes, it’s just their Nature.
It is long overdue, to have legislation, to remove from office, and cease all pay and benefits from those elected who violate the oath that they ALL take, to Defend and Protect the Constitution.
STUPID is once again running wild in Massachusetts!!!…..I am SO DAMN TIRED OF THIS STATE(Commonwealth)WHATEVER,The Democrats SUCK and still can’t accept that HILLARY BLOW IT!!!
These political morons are dumber than a box of rocks. So they are basicly saying ” we want every one from MASS to start buying guns from another state, we don’t need your money in MASS. WE THE POLITICAL ASSHOLES HAVE PLENTY OF YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY FOR OUR SELVES !
Democrats hate guns + Democrats want more of other peoples money = This law makes sense.
Massachusetts has the highest rate of child abuse (22 per thousand) in the country and you want to raise the gun taxes.
Another democrat….
Ricke…..What the hell are you talking about?
Massachusetts and Maryland are lost to the America-hating left. California is next.
California is a state all by them self….
California is LONG GONE……CT is soon and NY and NJ aren’t far behind!!