CHICAGO (AP) — The top official in the county that encompasses Chicago says she is dropping a proposal that would impose a nickel tax on every bullet sold.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Wednesday that she will continue to push for a $25 tax on all firearms. Preckwinkle said the ordinance was more about addressing gun violence than raising money for the nation's second-largest county, which faces a budget shortfall of more than $260 million.
The proposed tax angered gun-rights advocates, who predicted it would drive business from Cook County and to neighboring Indiana and Wisconsin.
Cook County Commissioner Edwin Reyes told the Chicago Sun-Times it's unclear if Preckwinkle had the necessary support for the measure.
The Chicago Tribune reports the bullet tax was expected to raise $400,000.
