Seattle Gun Sellers May Collect Tax To Stop Gun Violence

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle City Council is considering a new tax on gun sellers to collect money for gun violence prevention and research on how to reduce the impact of gun violence on the city and its residents.

Under the proposal, gun and ammunition sellers would be charged $25 for every firearm sold in Seattle and 5 cents for every round of ammunition sold. City officials estimate the new tax would collect between $300,000 and $500,000 a year.

City Council President Tim Burgess has also proposed a new law that would require mandatory reporting of lost or stolen firearms to the Seattle Police Department.

Both proposals were scheduled to be discussed by the council's Education and Governance Committee on July 15.