Hearing is the next day on 2/27.

CLick the link

Click "submit testimony"

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=401&year=2025

Also, if your rep is Buenaventura or you know people who's on Big Island and that's her rep, have them reach out to her directly.  She's the deciding vote for this bill as Awa and Gabbard are pro 2A.

I submitted my oppose. Thanks for posting the reminder!

Seriously now: why and how has this not yet been amended to avoid hitting shotguns?

Is it somebody's authoritative legal opinion that a 12 or 20 gauge is not "of 50 caliber or higher"?

Unless there's some sort of wrinkle like that, this is in the running for shoddiest, most unprofessional, asinine, ridiculously-worded firearms legislation ever proposed. If this was to actually be passed, the judicial hellfire that'd rain down upon the state could permanently chill further attempts at gun prohibitions.

While testifying against this, we should also demand a higher degree of effort from legislators. The incompetence on display with this bill is shameful.

Seriously now: why and how has this not yet been amended to avoid hitting shotguns?

Is it somebody's authoritative legal opinion that a 12 or 20 gauge is not "of 50 caliber or higher"?

Unless there's some sort of wrinkle like that, this is in the running for shoddiest, most unprofessional, asinine, ridiculously-worded firearms legislation ever proposed. If this was to actually be passed, the judicial hellfire that'd rain down upon the state could permanently chill further attempts at gun prohibitions.

While testifying against this, we should also demand a higher degree of effort from legislators. The incompetence on display with this bill is shameful.

Some of these bills are just copy/paste from prior years.

Bill passes and will exclude shotguns.

Buenaventura asked about passing them down via inheritance.

Buenaventura and Gabbard voted no.

Awa voted aye, which is shocking as he's been a 2a supporter since day 1 in office.

Awa voted aye, which is shocking as he's been a 2a supporter since day 1 in office.

Think it was an accidental bone head move.  Probably assumed Buenaventura would vote yes so he just went opposite.

Instead she voted no so he went yes.

Can try fix it in the house

Think it was an accidental bone head move.  Probably assumed Buenaventura would vote yes so he just went opposite.

Instead she voted no so he went yes.

Can try fix it in the house

I hope it was this and not that politics finally got to him. So he had to support the bill, so Comrade would support 1 of his.

Politics is a tough business and it's rough being in the minority.

Think it was an accidental bone head move.  Probably assumed Buenaventura would vote yes so he just went opposite.

Instead she voted no so he went yes.

Can try fix it in the house

Why would he be voting opposite of Buenaventura? Shouldn’t he have just voted no no matter what she said?

Young guns posted a screen shot of a DM that said they spoke with Brenton Awa and he said he cut a deal with Rhoades to vote yes on this bill and Rhoades will vote yes on Awa’s bill about foreigners buying land in Hawaii. Yikes.

Young guns posted a screen shot of a DM that said they spoke with Brenton Awa and he said he cut a deal with Rhoades to vote yes on this bill and Rhoades will vote yes on Awa’s bill about foreigners buying land in Hawaii. Yikes.

politician's version of selling out law-abiding citizens for "thirty pieces of silver".

It's the way politics works.  Awa is only 1 of 2 republican senators out of 23 democrat senators.  None of his bills would ever pass if he didn't do stuff like this.  If none of his bills pass, then Republicans have nothing to promote and the party doesn't grow.  I am shocked that Awa would be the one to do this with his strong 2A support and being a strong conservative.  I'd expect it more from a moderate republican.  It's like making a deal with the devil.

This bill would be dead if Awa didn't vote yes.  This is one of the least damaging 2A bills as grandfathering is allowed and it still has a January 2026 start date.  This law would be repealed whenever a SCOTUS issues a decision on the AWB.  Awa would also be eligible to be on the conference committee at the end of the session and discretely do something against this bill.

It's the way politics works. 

That's too bad.  Never was a fan of this bullcrap.  But I'm naive.

I just think this kind of tit for tat is why ALL politicians over the years get labeled as corrupt.  The waters get so murky.

Especially when main stream media nowadays, instead of just reporting news, also have an agenda while their hands are under the table accepting bribes from special interest groups.

That's too bad.  Never was a fan of this bullcrap.  But I'm naive.

I just think this kind of tit for tat is why ALL politicians over the years get labeled as corrupt.  The waters get so murky.

Especially when main stream media nowadays, instead of just reporting news, also have an agenda while their hands are under the table accepting bribes from special interest groups.

There's a lot that go on behind the scenes.  And it's very hard being in the minority, when it comes to the 2A or conservative politics in general. 

For example the sensitive places ban.  I had talks with legislators prior to the session starting.  It was apparent that it would be pushed through so I saw and took the opportunity to insert the 4 year statewide licensing change.  This was something I was working on for 6 years.  When the first committees passed the bill, I saw that it was a sure thing to be passed so I really pushed the 4 year statewide licenses along with excluding fees for lower income persons.

Some may see it as giving in.  However there is a strategy behind it.  Sensitive places will eventually be overturned by SCOTUS, then the 4 year statewide licenses remain and we probably wouldn't have been able to pass it on it's own.  I also needed as many people as possible to get their CCW licenses to show demand and hopefully show it prevents crime.  45,000 people with license's is the eventual goal.  I also trained up HRA and other instructors ahead of time so they could get a mass number of people their CCW licenses quickly.  The 4 year statewide licenses encouraged people to apply even with the threat of the ban knowing the ban would eventually be lifted and the cost of the license & training would be spread out over the 4 years making it more affordable.  This along with the free license helped the lower income get theirs.  Last stat I saw we're at about 10,000 licenses.

Have to look at the bigger picture sometimes and plan how to achieve your goals.