A state lawmaker wants to create a new sales holiday that he says both recognizes the Second Amendment and gives a tax benefit to Arkansans who exercise it by purchasing firearms.
Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, filed a bill Thursday afternoon that would establish an annual “Second Amendment Appreciation Weekend” in which firearms or ammunition bought for personal use would be exempt from sales taxes for a two-day period beginning the second Saturday in September through the following Sunday.
The proposal, SB126, would apply to shotguns, rifles or any handgun, including pistols and revolvers. Hester said he chose the weekend because it’s traditionally a slow one for gun retailers and falls before deer hunting season.
The senator, who has a few firearm retailers in his district, said he hopes stores such as Cabela’s, Academy Sports and Wal-Mart would offer additional discounts during the weekend for other merchandise, like hunting boots, to spur more sales.
Hester decided to refer to the Second Amendment in the name of the legislation because the bill “is about appreciating the rights we enjoy as Arkansas and U.S. citizens,” he said. Plus, the weekend would benefit retailers who want to promote different products and attract clientele, he said.
Some critics of sales holidays argue that instead of sparking demand for certain items, temporary tax breaks just shift the timeline of when people purchase them. Hester said while “there’s certainly no arguing that that would be the case for some people, other people will go out because they have the opportunity to get a better deal.”
“I’m not kidding myself that a tax free holiday will drastically change sales,” he later added. But the weekend will give Arkansans the chance to score a nice price on a hunting rifle or maybe it will help someone who’s struggling to afford home or personal protection, the lawmaker said.
So far, feedback from both constituents and business owners has been positive, with almost no calls in opposition, Hester said. He originally got the idea for the bill after learning Louisiana and Mississippi enacted similar laws.
“I thought, 'Wow, if it’s working good down there, we’ll give it a look here,’” he said.
Hester said he decided to draft the legislation not because he thinks the right to bear arms is under threat in the state. Rather, the bill “is just going along with my already strongly held beliefs and the people of Arkansas’ strongly held beliefs."
