Here is my addition to the email, added in HB1303 next to SB1334
I am writing to you to express my opposition to House Bill 1303 (HB1303) and Senate Bill 1334 (SB1334). These bills are a wide-sweeping ban on a vast majority of commonly-owned firearms in the State of Hawaii used in competition, hunting, and self-defense. A similar attempt at a “assault weapon ban” failed in 2013 (Senate Bill 219 of 2013). It did not make it out of committee.
The attempt to re-define what is an “assault weapon” under HB1303 and SB1334 provides no identifiable facts or statistics that prove that the mere existence of these firearms amongst law-abiding citizens creates a public safety threat. In fact, the verbiage and reasoning in Section.1 of HB1303 and SB1334 readily admits Hawaii annually maintains one of the lowest amounts of firearm-related deaths and crimes in the nation yet looks to ban commonly-owned firearms that have existed in the hands of law-abiding Hawaii citizens for decades. What is the purpose of banning commonly-owned firearms when the statistics have shown that Hawaii is able to keep firearm deaths to an absolute minimum while these firearms have remained in the lawful possession of the public all this time?
Section 1. of HB1303 and SB1334 also states Hawaii already has an “assault weapons ban” in place, yet HB1303 and SB1334 argues that it “fails to ban assault rifles and assault shotguns”. This contradictory statement does not provide the reasoning behind what currently constitutes as an “Assault Rifle” or “Assault Shotgun” by definition yet attempts to solidify a definition by naming standard industry components (as named in Section 2.) with zero factual information with regards to “cause and effect” to public safety. Again, these industry standard components have legally existed in the State of Hawaii for decades as the State of Hawaii annually boasts tremendously LOW firearm-related casualties.
I reiterate that HB1303 and SB1334 lacks statistical proof that semi-auto rifles and the industry standard components it seeks to outlaw are responsible for firearm-related injuries or deaths in the State of Hawaii. Far too often handguns have been the tool criminals preferred as evident throughout the various news articles and headlines in local media over the years.
The facts with regards to the LOW amount of firearm related deaths in Hawaii are within the State Legislature’s own published report:
http://lrbhawaii.org/reports/legrpts/lrb/2018/18-01.pdfIf a ban were to pass and “grandfathering” of said firearms were “allowed”, what is to happen to innocent gun owners in the event said firearms are damaged beyond repair in a natural disaster? Or if one were to become a victim of a burglary? Safes have been broken into in the past. The law-abiding gun owner will not be able to reclaim/replace their private property due to such a ban.
Should either HB1303 or SB1334 make its way to the JDC, I request that HB1303 or SB1334 NOT be scheduled for a hearing from this committee and request that it must be removed from the 2019 legislative session.
I would also like to state that there are no protections in either bill for Law Enforcement Personnel. It would automatically turn those that are considered "Essential Personnel" into criminals.
I feel that this is a very slippery slope that these bills would put the State on. The fact that these bills would essentially be taking away our second amendment rights. It would be prohibiting our right to own firearms.
It would also cause many small businesses across the state to go out of business.
Please consider not hearing and remove these bills from the JDC schedule.
Mahalo for your time.