Conrad Burns: “the President delivered his $1.5 trillion budget last month, and as we all know, the devil is in the details. I would…”

“the President delivered his $1.5 trillion budget last month, and as we all know, the devil is in the details. I would like to comment on one specific part of this budget. Included in the budget is an increase in the Federal firearm license [FFL] fee. The proposal would increase to $600 annually. Before the President signed the Brady bill into law, an FFL license cost $30 for 3 years. The Brady Act increased the fee to $200 for new applicants and $90 for renewals for the same period. The new proposal would increase this fee to $1,800 for the 3-year period. This is a 1000-percent increase. This is a new tax which will put in jeopardy individual Montana gun dealers. In Montana, there are almost 3,000 individuals who hold FFL's. A large majority of these individuals, about 2,700, sell and trade guns as a hobby and for extra income. If this unrealistic increase is put into effect, they will not be able to cover their costs. The end result will be that many of these small dealers will be put out of business. I believe this is yet another attempt at overtaxing individuals and imposing gun control measures. Gunowners in Montana, including myself, are tired of our rights being trampled. Taxing law-abiding gun sellers and traders, who go through the process of getting an FFL, is not going to curb crime. As we continue with the budget process, I will be working to have this proposal dropped.”