Wash. Supreme Court upholds Seattle gun, ammo tax

SEATTLE (AP) – Seattle’s tax on gun and ammunition sales has been upheld by the Washington state Supreme Court.
 
In a ruling Thursday upholding a lower court decision, justices said the levy was valid because its primary purpose was to raise revenue for “the public benefit.”
 
The tax added $25 to the price of each firearm sold in the city plus 2 or 5 cents per round of ammunition and took effect in 2016.
 
It raised $200,000 in its first year, with the money earmarked for gun-violence research.
 
The National Rifle Association and others argued the tax was illegal because Washington prohibits local governments from adopting laws related to firearms unless specifically authorized by the state.
 
In her dissent Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud agreed, saying Seattle’s levy ran afoul of state law.