Gun owners and gun control groups were in Hartford Thursday to make their stances known amid a hearing regarding a controversial plan to tax ammunition.

Critics of the proposal say the 35% tax is burdening the wrong people.

"The criminals won't be paying for it. They will be stealing it. They are criminals," says Audrey Roberts, of Higganum.

Gun control groups, such as Moms Demand Action, say it's a small price to pay to make streets safer.

"When you're talking about a 35% tax on a very inexpensive product, you're talking about just a couple of extra dollars," says Kate Weaver, of Moms Demand Action.

Those dollars could add up to $7 million a year for gun violence prevention in inner cities, such as Bridgeport.

Connecticut's biggest gun rights advocates believe, even with good intentions, that taxing bullets is very different than taxing something like cigarettes.

"The difference is, cigarettes are not a right," says Michele McBride, of Beacon Falls. “Responsible gun owners are trying to be safe and responsible."

For all the attention this bill is getting though, privately legislative leaders say it has very little chance of getting a vote.