State representative and Providence advisory council discuss taxing guns and ammunition to fund community violence intervention
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Summary
State Rep. Jennifer Boylan and Providence advisory council members discussed a proposal to tax firearms and ammunition to finance community violence intervention, raising questions about revenue size, administration and whether the funds would be kept out of the general fund.
State Rep. Jennifer Boylan on Thursday outlined a concept to tax guns, ammunition and related services to generate dedicated funding for community violence intervention (CVI) in Rhode Island, telling Providences Pathways and Gun Violence Advisory Council that such measures have been pursued in other states.
"Now is the time to reach out to the governor, and find out if there's an appetite for this," Representative Jennifer Boylan said, urging organizers to build a coalition, clarify how much money is needed, and define how the revenue would be distributed.
Boylan recalled a 2019 effort by then-Governor Gina Raimondo to include a gun-and-ammunition tax in the budget, and committee members cited California and Connecticut as examples where similar legislation has been considered or enacted. Participants suggested the tax could raise relatively modest sums for Rhode Island compared with larger states; one early projection referenced in the meeting put a prior estimate at about $1.2 million, and speakers said earlier proposals considered a 6 to 8 percent tax on certain transactions.
Council members and guests debated how revenue should be administered so funding reaches community-based organizations that deliver intervention services. Suggestions included charging the state Attorney General's office or the state's Public Safety Grants Administration with oversight, or housing administration in a separate violence-prevention entity. "DJ Fox from the attorney general's office is part of this committee," one member noted; the transcript records that PJ Fox could not attend the meeting.
Several participants emphasized the need for a clear spending plan and a fiscal case that quantifies current public costs linked to violent crime and the potential savings from prevention. "If we understand in detail what the state is spending to address violence," one attendee said, "we could project a reduction if we put efforts into reducing gun violence more holistically."
Members also discussed coalition-building, political feasibility and timing. Representative Boylan said legislative timing is important: bill filing deadlines and the governor's budget timetable mean advocates should "get it in gear" now to secure sponsors and administration support. Councilors and community leaders said the group should prepare a detailed plan outlining funds required, intended uses, and likely administrators before filing bills.
No formal vote or ordinance was taken at the meeting; members agreed to continue work on funding scenarios, administrative proposals and coalition outreach as next steps.
