Finance committee advances Safe Storage Act; $300 training credit retained, sales-tax holiday shortened

The Finance committee on an unspecified date advanced a substitute to House Bill 79, known in the meeting as the Safe Storage Act, keeping a $300 tax credit for firearms-safe-handling instruction while removing a separate $300 tax credit tied to storage purchases and shortening an ammunition-and-safety-accessory sales-tax holiday from 11 days to four days.

The bill’s sponsor and supporters said the substitute is a compromise that promotes firearm safety and provides limited tax relief to purchasers. Representative Newton, who presented the bill, thanked committee members and sponsors for negotiations that removed the storage-credit portion and retained the $300 credit for instruction courses.

The substitute retains a sunset provision carried from earlier committee action. Committee members also debated…