Gun safe purchase tax exemption held over by committee

After several gun-control bills have been tabled this legislative session, some lawmakers are putting forward less divisive gun safety measures.

Sponsored by Rep. Chris Swedzinski (R-Ghent), HF3918 would exempt gun safe purchases from the state sales tax. The bill was held over by the House Taxes Committee Tuesday for possible omnibus bill inclusion. Its companion, SF3398, sponsored by Sen. Paul Utke (R-Park Rapids), awaits action by the Senate Taxes Committee.

The purpose of the bill, Swedzinski said, is to promote and incentivize responsible gun ownership practices.

“We’ve heard a lot about gun safety this session and throughout the country in this debate, and this bill is pretty straightforward in encouraging safe storage of firearms,” Swedzinski said.

The state defines a gun safe as an enclosure equipped with a locking device that is designed and intended for secure storage of firearms.

The Department of Revenue estimates the impact of the bill would be $310,000 for Fiscal Year 2019 and climb to $350,000 by Fiscal Year 2021. The majority of those dollars would be drawn from the General Fund, with some additional funding from the natural resources and arts funds.