Yesterday, three anti-gun bills passed their floor votes in the Hawaii House of Representatives. These bills will now head to the Senate for further consideration.
House Bill 2502 would ban the import, sale, purchase, barter, and possession with intent to sell of any ivory (defined to include mammoth ivory), ivory product, rhinoceros horn, rhinoceros horn product and products from various other animal species. While the NRA applauds serious efforts to stop poaching and the illegal wildlife trade, banning the trade and sale of legally owned, pre-ban ivory will not save one elephant. To read more about ivory ban legislation, please refer to NRA-ILA’s Ivory Ban Fact Sheet.
House Bill 2632 would expand the list of possible prohibited possessors to include anyone who has undergone or is undergoing emergency hospitalization. This expansion for emergency hospitalization is vague and could entrap a person who has suffered something as common as diabetic shock to suddenly lose their Second Amendment rights, without due process of the law, simply for receiving care. Additionally under this bill, individuals are required to surrender firearms immediately, or else law enforcement may seize firearms, all without due process.
House Bill 1813 would prohibit any individual whose name is added to the deeply flawed and inaccurate “Terrorist Watch list,” from owning or possessing firearms. This secret government list would strip law-abiding individuals of their constitutional rights without due process.
Additionally, two pro-gun bills are on the move in Honolulu as well.
House Bill 2528 would appropriate funds for public outreach and planning for a Hawaii island public shooting facility. HB 2528 passed the House of Representatives and has been assigned to the Senate Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection, Government Operations, and Ways and Means.
Senate Bill 2026 would establish the Hawaii apprentice hunting license program. Lengthy hunter education requirements often discourage potential hunters from going afield because they are unwilling to dedicate the necessary time to complete the course in order to pursue an activity that they are simply trying out. The apprentice license program allows them to experience hunting while under the supervision of a mentor before taking the course. Eventually, the goal is for these apprentices to complete a hunter education course so they can hunt on their own, which has largely been the case in the states with similar programs. Since 2006, nearly 1.5 million apprentice hunting licenses have been sold in participating states and have proven the value and safety of mentoring newcomers in the field. SB 2026 passed the Senate and is currently awaiting to be assigned to a House committee for further consideration.
Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org and your email inbox for further updates on these bills.
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