© 2024
NPR News, Colorado Stories
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
In the NoCo

A proposed tax on guns and ammo could fund millions in aid for victims of violent crimes. Will voters back it?

this shows the exterior of the Colorado State Capitol Building on a sunny day
Lucas Brady Woods
/
KUNC

A new tax on sales of guns and ammunition could be used to fund services that help crime victims.

That’s the idea behind a proposal Colorado voters will consider on the November ballot. Proposition KK would add a 6.5 percent excise tax on guns, some parts and accessories, and ammunition. Buyers in Colorado already pay state and local sales taxes on the purchase of firearms and ammunition, and a federal tax of around 10 percent.

It’s a novel approach that its backers say will generate about $39 million dollars a year to fund programs that address some of the harms of gun violence, including mental health support services. But opponents say it will just make it more difficult for law-abiding Coloradans to buy guns.

To learn more about what this tax would do, host Erin O’Toole checked in with Lucas Brady Woods, who covers politics and state government for KUNC.

You can read up on all 14 statewide measures on the November ballot here.

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.
As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.
I’m the Statehouse Reporter at KUNC, which means I help make sense of the latest developments at the Colorado State Capitol. I cover the legislature, the governor, and government agencies.