HB2075: Legislators Ignore Federal Judge to Push Gun Control Agenda

from Hawaii Firearms Coalition, April 30, 2022

Last Year Hawaii Firearms Coalition Director Todd Yukutake won a lawsuit that overturned Hawaii's requirement to present your firearms at the police station for inspection prior to registration.

In that lawsuit, the state could provide absolutely zero evidence to show that there was any public safety befit from doing so. As such, the judge ruled:

"Accordingly, the requirement in HRS § 134-3(c) that "[a]ll other firearms and firearm receivers registered under [HRS Chapter 134] shall be physically inspected by the respective county chief of police or the chief's representative at the time of registration" is severed from the statute and declared unconstitutional in violation of the Second Amendment. Defendant's officers, agents, servants, employees, and all persons in active concert or participation with Defendant are permanently enjoined from enforcing HRS § 134-3(c) 's in-person firearm inspection and registration requirement." (1)

State legislators and officials feel that the judge got his determination wrong and introduced a number of bills to strip the people of the protection that his orders provided.

One of these bills is almost at the point of passing, and that is HB2075. The bill moved through this legislative session and would have removed the 10-day permit expiration, extending it to 30 days--something that we wholeheartedly supported.

But instead of doing that, legislators (sneakily) decided (in conference committee, away from the public eye) to go ahead and re-write the law to ONLY reinstate this unconstitutional inspection scheme.

Not only have they done so, they openly state that they are doing so to void the judge's orders:

"Even if the Yukutake ruling is upheld, Hawai'i's important interest in protecting public safety justifies the physical inspection of certain narrow categories of firearms at the time of registration. This interest is also based on the extensive knowledge and experience of the Hawai'i law enforcement community and legislature". (2)

While attitudes in the capitol are slowly changing, to where a number of legislators that were vehemently anti-gun are willing to listen and apply common sense, there are still remains in power those that can't accept anything but a complete ban on the private possession of firearms.

To them, the goal of a complete ban must be pushed, even if that means ignoring a federal judge and his orders in the process.

HB2075: Text, Status

PDF: Yukutake-order-on-motion-to-stay