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National Rifle Association suing Seattle over 'gun violence tax'

By Tomas Monzon

SEATTLE, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- The National Rifle Association announced Monday it is suing Seattle for violating a state law preventing local municipalities from issuing their own firearm regulations.

The NRA, along with the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the Second Amendment Foundation, filed the suit Monday morning at King County Superior Court.

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Executive director of the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action Chris Cox claimed that a similar battle was fought by anti-gun activists in Seattle in 2009 to no avail, adding that it is a shame to witness such a waste of public resources on issues that have been deemed to be clear violations of state laws.

In response, City Attorney Pete Holmes said that the tax actually does fall within the purview of the city's taxing authority.

Cox criticized an Aug. 10 Seattle City Council approval of a measure to tax the sales of all firearms and ammunition and require gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms. The taxes will add $25 to each firearm purchase in the city, plus five cents per round of most ammunition types. The revenue would fund gun safety research and gun violence programs.

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The measure will be enacted beginning January 2016. In 2009, the City Council issued a regulation prohibiting carrying guns in city parks. The regulation was struck down in 2012 in the state's Supreme Court.

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