(The Center Square) – The Georgia Senate passed a bill that would allow an 11-day sales tax holiday on firearms, ammunition and accessories beginning with the first Friday of October.
Sen. Jason Anavitarte, R- Dallas, said the bill was about giving tax breaks to hunters and other outdoor sports enthusiasts. The bill would return between $1.5 million to $3 million a year to the taxpayers.
Democrats staunchly opposed the bill, using the shooting at Winder’s Apalachee High School last year in their opposition speeches. Sen. Nikki Merritt, D-Graysville, said she talked with mothers from both parties who told her they wanted lawmakers to do something about gun violence.
“This bill is not the ‘do something’ they are asking for,” Merritt said. “This bill just makes guns and ammo more accessible.”
Sen. Randy Robertson, R-Cataula, said the arguments from Democrats were “disingenuous.”
“Don’t go stand on the bodies of children because you don’t like the Second Amendment,” Robertson said. “That’s disgusting.”
Sen. Nan Orrock, D-Atlanta, called the bill a “message bill.”
“We’re for guns,” Orrock said. “Go for guns. We’re for Second Amendment. Go for guns. Wrong message. Wrong time. Wrong place.”
Anavitarte reiterated what he said about the bill, emphasizing it was about outdoor sports.
“This doesn’t proactively promote, you know, people to go carry weapons,” Anavitarte said in the Senate Finance Committee. “The bigger picture picture, being stewards of the outdoors is why I care about it.”
A similar measure that proposed a five-day sales tax holiday failed last year. The bill goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.
