(The Center Square) – Despite a Cook County judge siding with gun rights advocates over the county’s gun and ammunition tax, the county’s tax remains in effect.
Cook County enacted the tax in 2012, charging $25 per firearm and up to 5 cents per round of ammunition. The Illinois Supreme Court struck it down in 2021. After the county modified the ordinance, lawsuits were again filed.
Last week, a judge entered a summary judgment in favor of Guns Save Life.
Maxon Shooter’s Supplies owner and member of Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois Dan Eldridge said the order could have been more clear.
“Well, it’s thin and ambiguous and took almost 40 months to produce,” Eldridge told The Center Square.
After the most recent judicial order was entered against the county, a Cook County spokesman said “the tax remains enforceable.”
Eldridge said the judge’s order from last Friday needs more clarity.
“It says, ‘give us our summary judgement,’ but what does that mean? What’s enjoined? Who is enjoined from what? What version of the language of [the ordinance] is enjoined?” Eldridge asked. “So, we’re sitting here in limbo.”
Guns Save Life Executive Director John Boch said they will look at having the U.S. Supreme Court strike down such taxes nationwide.
“And that’s going to be kind of an embarrassment for Cook County to be responsible for the end of this tax on guns and ammo that are commonplace in some of these other states like California and New York,” Boch told The Center Square.
While the county’s tax remains enforceable, Eldridge hoped for clarification on the district judge’s summary judgment in the days and weeks ahead.
“Or are we going to have to relitigate this for another six years,” he said.
