Anti-gun lobbyists and politicians know that where legal restrictions on gun ownership fail, burdensome fees and red tape often succeed in stopping the law-abiding from arming themselves. In that spirit, Democrat New Jersey Gov. Philip D. Murphy, who campaigned on a heavily anti-gun platform, has proposed a radical slate of higher fees and new taxes designed to make gun ownership too expensive for the poor.
The New York Times reports that Gov. Murphy wants to raise the fee for a firearm identification card from $5 to $100, while the firearm permit fee would rocket from $2 to $50 and a concealed-carry permit would cost an eye-watering $400 instead of the current $20. He also proposed an excise tax of 2.5 percent on firearms and 10 percent on ammunition.
Among politicians, even some anti-gun Democrats expressed reservations about Gov. Murphy’s plan. “Just to check a box to say you did something, I’m not sure that’s necessary,” said New Jersey Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney. “I don’t think it’s going to raise a lot of money.”
