A consortium of Second Amendment advocacy groups and two residents filed suit seeking to block California’s new 11% excise tax on firearms, parts and ammunition.

The case, Jaymes v. Maduros, alleged that the Supreme Court has previously ruled that constitutional rights should not be subject to taxation, and sought to block the tax that went into effect July 1.

One of the precedents cited was Murdock v. Pennsylvania, in which the court sided with a Jehovah’s Witness who had been required to purchase a permit to evangelize door-to-door in Westmoreland County.

In that regard, the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), National Rifle Association (NRA), California Rifle & Pistol Association and the two civilians filed their complaint against California Department of Tax & Fee Administration Director Nicolas Maduros in his official capacity, citing similar protections.

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FPC President Brandon Combs called California’s tax a “modern Jim Crow law” that targets people who are disliked by those in power, such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“Thankfully, the Constitution forbids California’s political warfare scheme. FPC and our allies are committed to restoring the right to keep and bear arms in California and throughout the United States,” Combs said in a statement.

The complaint, filed in state court in San Diego, alleges that California seeks to “destroy the exercise of a Constitutional right by singling it out for special taxation.”

The plaintiffs further argue that, if allowed to stand, the levy means that California can tax behavior associated with any other Constitutional rights at 50% or 100% if the government doesn’t favor them.

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The filing also cites the recent New York Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen case, which targeted the Empire State’s requirements for concealed-carry permitting.

Bruen “guarantee[s] the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation,” the plaintiffs said.

In a statement, the NRA said that although the tax is formally levied on gun dealers, the amount is passed down to the consumer.

Randy Kozuch, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, said the Virginia-based association has a long history of defending the right to bear arms and challenging laws that abridge it.

“California’s firearms excise tax is a blatant and egregious attack on the rights of Californians and a calculated maneuver to dismantle the Second Amendment,” Kozuch said.

A Newsom spokesman, however, disagreed with the allegations.

“This is a modest investment in gun violence prevention programs that are proven to work,” Daniel Villaseñor told the Los Angeles Times, calling the Golden State “No. 1 for gun safety.”

The San Francisco Giants are without a doubt one of the most intriguing teams to monitor ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

While they are not viewed as a serious contender right now, they’re about to get major pitching help returning from injury. Blake Snell, Kyle Harrison, Alex Cobb, and Robbie Ray will all likely be back at some point in the fairly near future.

Adding those pitchers back to the staff will make them a much more serious contender. They also have the ability to swing a deal or two ahead of the MLB trade deadline later this month.

Could the Giants actually look to acquire another starting pitcher and allocate one of the arms returning from injury to beef up the bullpen?

One potential sleeper starting pitcher trade that San Francisco could consider would be for Colorado Rockies starter Cal Quantrill.

During the 2024 season thus far with the Rockies, Quantrill has started in 18 games. He has compiled a 6-6 record to go along with a 3.77 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and 100.1 innings pitched.

For the fans wondering why the Giants would trade for a starting pitcher, there is one glaring reason. Even with players returning from injury, they had not played great before going out. Snell has not lived up to the hype this season and has quite honestly been a poor starter so far this year.

Quantrill would give San Francisco major insurance for the rest of the season.

Also, the 29-year-old starting pitcher would not break the bank in a trade. He also has another year left on his contract following the 2024 season. Quantrill could be an important piece for the 2025 season as well.

Acquiring players who can make an impact past 2024 should be a priority for the Giants. Quantrill is exactly that kind of player.

If San Francisco wants to get aggressive, they’ll also need to acquire a piece or two to improve their offense. Cody Bellinger is a name who would make sense for the Giants.

All of that being said, the Giants seem like a team that could very well become a buyer. They’re close to contention, but will need a few moves to actually make a run.

A trade for Quantrill could help them bet much closer to their goal of making the postseason.

A 22-year-old mother and her two young children were killed in a crash between an off-road vehicle and a pickup in Morgan County on Wednesday.

Destiny Mena and her sons Benjamin and Isaiah were passengers in a Polaris RZR that ran a stop sign and crashed into a pickup truck about 3:30 p.m Wednesday at the intersection of County Road C and County Road 31, 20 miles south of Brush.

Mena, Benjamin, Isaiah and the 22-year-old driver, who has not been identified, all died in the crash. The pickup driver was seriously injured, according to the Colorado State Patrol.

Mena and her sons were identified in a verified GoFundMe created to raise money for their funeral expenses. State Patrol officials said one of the boys was 2 years old and the other was 1 year old.

“Our family is trying to wrap our heads around this sudden and shocking loss, we are asking for support to cover funeral costs and lessen the financial burden of not only having to lay one loved one to rest but three,” organizer James Medina wrote on the page.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

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