Food, school supplies, emergency storm equipment, musical instruments and gasoline. Just a few things that don’t have their own dedicated tax holiday in Louisiana like guns do this weekend. You have David Vitter to thank for that as his most recent press release will remind you. He lead the charge to protect your second amendment right to stockpile tax-free arms a second weekend each year, while saying boo about the other measures in Rep. Jack Montoucet’s HCR15 which sought to suspend tax holidays including those for school supplies and hurricane gear. Can’t afford a pencil? Get a gun. Can’t afford clean water and a transistor radio? Get a gun.
As best we could find, the Second Amendment Tax Holiday addresses no shortfall in sales tax exemptions, which is to say that state sales tax on firearms is also waived during the general sales tax holiday that happens each year at the beginning of August. We confirmed that via review of the Louisiana Department of Revenue’s stipulations and a quick chat with a local gun shop. That’s twice in a month span that you’d be forgiven your fiduciary obligations to the state’s coffers when purchasing a new Smith & Wesson.
To be sure, this weekend’s holiday isn’t all about guns. Camping gear is also included in the supplemental exemptions, which is certainly a more wholesome enterprise in our estimation. But if tax lenience is how the state (and the politicians who lead it) show what’s important in terms of commerce and progress, are we to accept that David Vitter would rather see you polishing a assault rifle in a tent than getting a shiny new notebook for your hurricane preparedness course?