“We want to highlight this issue of gun violence and we also want to add to our resources to address it,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle told reporters on Friday as the Board passed the gun tax by a vote of 9-7.  The proposed tax on bullets was withdrawn earlier last week.

The tax is to help defray the health costs incurred by the county from gun shot wounds.  In addition to the gun tax, the board also approved a $1 per pack cigarette tax also to assist with the costs of public health care.

For the entire story see “Chicago’s Cook County OKs gun tax to defray costs of violence.”