Tax cuts for guns & ammo? Oh, deer

At a recent hearing of the state Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Nan Orrock, D-Atlanta, made a prediction to her Republican colleague, state Sen. Jason Anavitarte: “My read of the tea leaves is that this is going to get some bad press,” she said.

Orrock was talking about the bill that Anavitarte had just introduced, Senate Bill 344, which would create a sales tax holiday for guns and ammunition in Georgia. And Orrock wasn’t wrong about the bad press.

Anavitarte’s bill would give a tax break, or “sales tax holiday,” to anyone purchasing guns, ammunition, or firearms accessories in Georgia for 11 days every year. It would include any gun and gun accessory, from sights and silencers to lasers, high-capacity magazines, gun boxes … you name it.

The reason for the legislation, Anavitarte explained during the hearing, was deer. “With no natural predators, hunting is the primary means of keeping Georgia’s deer population at a healthy level,” he said. Foregoing sales taxes the week before white-tailed deer season every year would help cull the herds, he explained.

Is the white-tailed deer population exploding in Georgia? Actually, no. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources estimates that deer populations in North Georgia are dropping by about 4% per year.

Are gun sales suffering? Also no. Anavitarte said skipping taxes on hunting rifles and gear could help increase sales heading into the October hunting season, which is a big draw for tourism.

But the industry itself is flush with cash. As a part of the fiscal note for the bill, the Georgia State Auditor estimated that retail sales of firearms and accessories already amount to $1.06 billion annually in Georgia and will increase steadily through the end of the decade.

It’s hard to see why Georgia

FILE A reason given for a proposed sales tax holiday for guns and ammunition is controlling the deer population.