Hawaii Rifle Association
President’s Message
By Harvey Gerwig

ACT NOW OR FOREVER LOSE YOUR GUN RIGHTS

This has been a very discouraging Legislative Session so far. Many of you have stepped up and sent in testimony OPPOSED to the many anti-gun bills being pushed by the Honolulu Police Department this year. Unfortunately, they have all passed the House and the Senate floor votes so far this year, BUT we are NOT dead in the water yet. If everyone steps up RIGHT NOW and continues to send in testimony directly to each Senator and each Representative we can defeat these bad bills and here is how.

 The bills are in their house of origin to be considered for the AMENDMENTS made by the other house. If the houses CONCUR, the bill can move forward to the Governor for his signature and become law. If the houses DO NOT CONCUR, they are then scheduled for CONFERENCE COMMITTEE, where they will be considered by members of each committee that heard the bill during the preceding hearings. So, if there were two committees that heard the bill in each house, that would mean that four committees heard the bill in total, and if two members are sent to the CONFERENCE COMMITTEE from each of the original committees, then there would be a minimum of eight ( members on the Conference Committee, and likely even more than that.

 The committees are required to be bipartisan, where possible, which is extremely difficult in the Senate where Senator Sam Slom is the ONLY REPUBLICAN and is out for a bypass surgery. These committees then decide whether to concur on the bills, change the bill to meet all committee concerns or to simply drop the bill for NON-CONCURRANCE.

 If Hawaii's GUN OWNERS get up on their hind horses and bombard the House and the Senate members with letters insisting that they STOP these bills, this battle can be won.

 If Hawaii's GUN OWNERS sit back and do nothing, these bills will be enacted into law and you will have to live with them forever.

THE BILLS WE ARE FIGHTING RIGHT NOW ARE AS FOLLOWS:

HB 625: Misdemeanor harassment, such as unwanted texts, emails, and phone calls will become a disqualifying characteristic for owning or possessing a firearm. Even previous convictions for such a minor misdemeanor will become a disqualifier and cause your local Police to come and confiscate your firearms and ammunition. (BAD BILL # 1)

HB2629: Known as the Rap Back Bill. This puts any applicant for a firearms permit on a permanent criminal background check system that will cover all states, all the time. It creates a Federal registration of firearms owners, this is in direct violation of the 1986 Firearms Owners Protection act, which disallows the Federal Government from creating such a registry. (BAD BILL # 2)

HB 2632: Emergency Hospitalization (MH1 Bill). This bill allows police to pickup someone for acting a bit strange and take them to a hospital for observation and assessment for being a danger to self or others. It also allows them to immediately confiscate all that person's firearms and ammunition without the benefit of a court order or judges approval. STATUS: Currently in Conference Committee, reconvening on April 26. (BAD BILL # 3)

HB2647: Ivory Bill: Seeks to ban the sale of ivory and many other animal products in Hawaii. We asked for a specific gun and knife exemption and were told that this would be included. IT IS NOT INCLUDED. This bill will steal millions of dollars from collectors and dealers and will NOT save a single elephant, walrus or hippo. (BAD BILL # 4)

PLEASE SEND TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION TO ALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES WITH ONE SEND ASKING THEM TO STOP THESE BAD BILLS. SEND TO REPS@CAPITOL.HAWAII.GOV
This will send to ALL FIFTY-ONE (51) REPS WITH ONE SEND.

On the SENATE side we are fighting the following bill:

SB2954: Which is the Senate version of HB2629: (RAP BACK) Known as the Rap Back Bill. This puts any applicant for a firearms permit on a permanent criminal background check system that will cover all states, all the time. It creates a Federal registration of firearms owners, this is in direct violation of the 1986 Firearms Owners Protection act, which disallows the Federal Government from creating such a registry. STATUS: Senate agrees with House amendments, final reading on April 25. (BAD BILL # 5)

PLEASE SEND TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION TO ALL YOUR SENATORS WITH ONE SEND ASKING THEM TO STOP THESE BAD BILLS. SEND TO SENS@CAPITOL.HAWAII.GOV.
This will send to ALL TWENTY-SIX (26) SENATORS WITH ONE SEND.

DO IT NOW, THERE IS NO TOMORROW FOR YOUR ACTION

Thank you,
Harvey Gerwig

Done

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

Don't know if it's too late, but testimony sent anyway.  Let's hope they listen to us.   

Done

Done!

Done. Stole the last one but the rest is original.

(To the Mosquitoes)

In the wake of the media frenzy over shooting events on the continental United States, there's been a reaction by a misinformed segment of the population demanding restrictions on gun owners regardless of how ineffective or unconstitutional they might be. Hawaii seems to be leading this disturbing trend instead of addressing the real causes of violence, which are well known to be inadequate mental health services and shameful income inequality. Below are the worst bills that will unjustly punish and endanger law-abiding citizens while accomplishing little or nothing to reduce violence. My comments are in bold.

HB 625: Misdemeanor harassment, such as unwanted texts, emails, and phone calls will become a disqualifying characteristic for owning or possessing a firearm. Even previous convictions for such a minor misdemeanor will become a disqualifier and a cause confiscation of your firearms and ammunition.

Do you really have such low confidence in our judges and prosecutors that you don't think they can tell the difference between a slap on the wrist for being obnoxious versus a real and credible threat? If you can't get a Felony conviction that means there's not enough evidence to take away a person's constitutional rights. It's like taking away a person's right to vote for jaywalking. It may be a feel-good win for gun ban zealots but the ethical rationale is completely specious.

HB2629: Known as the Rap Back Bill. This puts any applicant for a firearms permit on a permanent criminal background check system that will cover all states, all the time.

This is in direct violation of the 1986 Firearms Owners Protection act, which disallows the Federal Government from creating such a registry. This opens up an expensive legal challenge for a bill that wouldn't do much in the first place besides create yet another tax for gun owners.

Hawaii laws are strong enough, so there's no reason to put an unfair burden and possible security risk for gun owners.

I say security risk because all these databases and information sharing schemes will splash our information all over the country for anyone clever enough to access it. Horrifyingly enough the rapback system contains biometric data, giving criminals all they need for identity theft or other nefarious purposes.

The Edward Snowden saga has shown none of these databases are safe. Firearms enthusiasts have at least some disposable income, and rounding up law abiding citizens' information makes a very convenient place for someone to do some shopping for victims with no criminal record and good credit.

Should we tell gun owners to add, on top of RapBack fees, the price of a credit monitoring service?

More importantly this level of invasive information gathering contributes to the totalitarian security state where people are unjustly punished for their political views.

If I go to a pro-democracy rally in another state and get arrested by corrupt militarized police, will someone look at the reason I was detained before they come for my hunting rifles or am I just another number in the machine?

These kinds of bills have a chilling effect on a democracy and the potential to do much more harm than good, especially considering the laws on the books seem to be working just fine and illegally obtained guns by criminals who don't do background checks or register their weapons wouldn't be affected in the slightest.

HB 2632: Emergency Hospitalization (MH1 Bill). This bill allows police to pickup someone for acting a bit strange and take them to a hospital for observation and assessment for being a danger to self or others. It also allows them to immediately confiscate all that person's firearms and ammunition without the benefit of a court order or judges approval.

If you want to suspend someone's constitutional rights, the least you can do is find a judge and have them sign off on it. What if someone has a diabetic episode that causes an altered mental status? There's no language that establishes a timetable or procedure the police have to follow in order to get their guns back after an unjust detention. This also throws the door wide open to harassment from vindictive people who know how to game the system to make others suffer. If you can't prove someone is in immediate danger, then there's no cause for confiscation.

HB2647: Ivory Bill: Seeks to ban the sale of ivory and many other animal products in Hawaii.

The Hawaii Rifle Association asked for a specific gun and knife exemption and were told that this would be included. IT IS NOT INCLUDED. This bill will steal millions of dollars from collectors and dealers and will NOT save a single elephant, walrus or hippo.

Done, wrote my complaints about the hospitalization one and the harassment one.

Done.

   Last reply from my Senator re House Bill 2632, House Bill 625, House Bill 626, and House Bill 2629. 


Aloha e (Rocky),

Thanks for your email. I do support Second Amendment Rights and voted in opposition to SB 2629 in the Judiciary and Labor Committee on March 30th. However, I did vote in favor of HB 2632 and HB 625 after weighing all the testimony.
I'll keep your input in mind as these bills continue being debated here at the Legislature.
Me ke aloha pumehana,

Senator Mike Gabbard
Chair, Water, Land, and Agriculture Committee
 
Hawai'i State Capitol, Room 201
Honolulu, Hawai`i  96813
Ph: 586-6830  Fax: 586-6679
P.S. Click HERE to check out my Senate webpage

My response today...

Dear Senator Mike Gabbard

    Thank you for your reply and your vote in opposition to SB 2629, but I will re-iterate my opinion below, please forgive.



    Below are the worst bills that will unjustly punish law-abiding citizens like myself by limiting or endangering myself and my Second Amendment Rights which you say you support while accomplishing little or nothing to reduce violence .

HB 625: Misdemeanor harassment, such as unwanted texts, emails, and phone calls will become a disqualifying characteristic for owning or possessing a firearm. A previous conviction for such minor misdemeanor will become a disqualifier and a cause confiscation of my firearms and ammunition.
 
            A minor misdemeanor will cause the loss of my 2nd Amendment rights ?

     What's next, jay walking or spitting on side walk will cost me a constitutional right ?

Save it for Felony conviction



HB2629: Known as the Rap Back Bill. This puts any applicant for a firearms permit on a permanent criminal background check system that will cover all states, all the time.

     This is in direct violation of the 1986 Firearms Owners Protection act, which disallows the Federal Government from creating such a registry.


            Criminals don't do background checks or register their weapons .


HB 2632: Emergency Hospitalization (MH1 Bill).

            This bill allows authorities who are unqualified and unlicensed to make a psychiatric evaluation or to take an individual (possibly against their will) to a hospital for observation and assessment for being a danger to self or others. By doing so, it also allows them to immediately confiscate all that person's firearms and ammunition without the benefit of a professional psychiatric evaluation, a court trial or judge's order.
            What if someone has an automobile accident and loses a loved one is and is temporarily traumatically affected or in shock  ?

They lose their firearms and Second Amendment rights ?



    This law also provides vengeful or anti-firearm people the ability to cause grief to law abiding citizens.

Confiscation without Justification is WRONG.

HB2647: Ivory Bill: Seeks to ban the sale of ivory and many other animal products in Hawaii.

    Specific gun and knife exemptions that were to be included are not in this bill.

We have been to South Africa and have seen and heard first hand on how to stop poaching and each of us donated to the  "game wardens" for the purpose of their buying ammunition to "stop" poaching.

 

 "You get results working from the beginning of a problem, not the end."

    Your votes will affect ours !

    Please feel free to quote both lines above to your peers.



Regards,

I got an email from someone in the Evans office saying they would pass the email on to the representative. Must say I am surprised to get any response.

Done!

Done

HB 625: Misdemeanor harassment, such as unwanted texts, emails, and phone calls will become a disqualifying characteristic for owning or possessing a firearm. Even previous convictions for such a minor misdemeanor will become a disqualifier and cause your local Police to come and confiscate your firearms and ammunition. (BAD BILL # 1)

4/26/2016   H   Passed Final Reading as amended in SD 1 with Representative(s) McKelvey, Ward voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Choy, Creagan, DeCoite, Har, Ito, Kong, McDermott, Say, Tokioka, Tupola voting no (10) and Representative(s) Ing, Oshiro excused (2).

4/26/2016   H   Transmitted to Governor.

* * * * *

SB2954: Which is the Senate version of HB2629: (RAP BACK) Known as the Rap Back Bill. This puts any applicant for a firearms permit on a permanent criminal background check system that will cover all states, all the time. It creates a Federal registration of firearms owners, this is in direct violation of the 1986 Firearms Owners Protection act, which disallows the Federal Government from creating such a registry. STATUS: Senate agrees with House amendments, final reading on April 25. (BAD BILL # 5)

4/25/2016   S   Passed Final Reading. 24 Aye(s); Aye(s) with reservations: none . 0 No(es): none. 1 Excused: Senator(s) Slom.
4/25/2016   H   Received notice of reconsideration, Senate agreement, and Final Reading (Sen. Com. No. 690).
4/25/2016   S   Enrolled to Governor.