Colorado Voters Approve Excise Tax on Their Guns and Ammunition

Just over 54 percent of Colorado voters approved on Tuesday Proposition KK, which contains an excise tax on the in-state sale of guns and ammunition.

CBS News reported that roughly 1.3 million Colorado voters supported the proposition, while 1.1 million opposed it.

The approved tax is 6.5 percent, which means the price of $400 firearm will rise $26 and the price of a $1,000 firearm will increase by $65 because of the new tax.

MSN noted that the passage of Proposition KK makes Colorado the second state to place a tax on the tools of the Second Amendment. California adopted a similar, albeit higher, excise tax that took effect July 1, 2024.

CBS News pointed out that gun rights advocates fought against the tax, arguing that “law-abiding gun owners shouldn’t have to pay more than they already are.” They also noted that the tax will cause Colorado businesses to lose revenue, because many Coloradans will now purchase guns and ammunition out of state to avoid the tax.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio, a member of Gun Owners of America, a Pulsar Night Vision pro-staffer, and the director of global marketing for Lone Star Hunts. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in 2010 and has a Ph.D. in Military History. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly: awrhawkins@breitbart.com.