South Carolina Considers 7 Percent Tax on Gun Sales

Guns might get more expensive for South Carolinians as state lawmakers consider a sales tax on firearms as a way to pay for school resource officers (SROs).

 Democrat Reps. Wendy Brawley and Ivory Thigpen are behind the proposal, which they linked to Gov. Henry McMaster’s plan to post SROs at every public school across the state. Brawley said the bill would provide a good start toward funding that plan.

 The 7 percent tax would generate about $22 million, the lawmakers said. Currently, some 600 schools lack an SRO, reportedly because the affected school districts lack funding.

 While the bill’s sponsors say they are not interested in using it as a stepping stone toward more gun control, they are overlooking the fact that the surcharge might well keep defensive guns out of the hands of those who have less disposable income, and thus could deter some South Carolinians from exercising their Second Amendment rights.