Connecticut State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest (D-13th) doubled down on her ammunition tax proposal by claiming the 50 percent tax is worth it if it can “prevent just one death.”

Private gun ownership and concealed carry combine to prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths each year, but Gilchrest did not say anything about the value of making sure more law-abiding citizens are armed.

On Tuesday morning Breitbart News reported that Gilchrest was pushing a 50 percent tax on ammunition. Such a task could make self-defense cost prohibitive for poorer Connecticut residents and could also make home defense more difficult. Gilchrest responded to those worried about home defense by tweeting, “I’m hearing push back about the need to protect one’s home… but how much ammunition does someone really need to do that?”

The NRA pointed out that Gilchrest’s ammo tax will make harder to afford the practice necessary to become proficient with one’s firearms:

#Connecticut state Rep. Jillian Gilchrest @Jilchrest introduced HB 5700, which would impose a 50% tax increase on ammunition. This dreadful legislation punishes law-abiding citizens and makes it harder to learn how to safely use firearms. pic.twitter.com/fuK07CrhDJ — NRA (@NRA) February 5, 2019

Gilchrest responded to the NRA by tweeting, “I’m interested in preventing gun violence. If increasing the tax on ammunition can prevent just one death, it’s worth it.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.