Hawaii: Ivory Bill Scheduled for Senate Vote on Monday

From NRA-ILA, February 21, 2016

On Monday, February 22, Senate Bill 2647, is scheduled for a Senate floor vote.  It is imperative that you contact your state Senator immediately and politely urge them to OPPOSE Senate Bill 2647.  Please click the “Take Action” button to contact your state Senator in opposition to SB 2647.

SB 2647 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.  SB 2647 goes far beyond law-abiding gun owners and would adversely impact anyone who owns ivory, and products from a wide variety of animals, by significantly diminishing the value of lawfully acquired property.  This bill would harm those who have no part in the illegal activities that this misguided legislation is attempting to prevent; firearm owners, sportsmen, hunters, recreational shooters and gun collectors who have legally purchased firearms (and knives, jewelry and other items) that have incorporated ivory features for decades.  These include some of America’s most historically-significant and collectible guns.

There are several narrow and limited exceptions for lawfully obtained items containing ivory, but the exceptions for firearms are more arbitrary than other ivory products.  Additionally, these exceptions place the onus on the owner to prove the ivory meets the requirement specified in the exemptions, and in most cases, pre-ban ivory pieces lack the documentation required to meet this exemption.  The exceptions also provide no guidance as to what documentation would satisfy the requirement.  One exemption states that ivory components would have to make up less than twenty percent of the firearm by volume.  Accurately measuring the “volume” of a complex mechanical object such as a firearm or of small, non-removable ivory components such as inlaid decorations would be a daunting task.  Further, this exception fails to take into account that many variations of ivory pieces which may be present on a firearm.

As previously reported, SB 2647 is one of several bills introduced this session which are related to the trafficking of animal parts, and specifically aimed at the trafficking of ivory and ivory products.  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.  Once again, please contact your state Senator and politely urge them to OPPOSE Senate Bill 2647!  Please click the “Take Action” button above to contact your state Senator.

Additionally, House Bill 2632 is scheduled to be heard in the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, February 23. Please contact the members of the House Judiciary Committee and politely urge them to OPPOSE HB 2632.  HB 2632, would expand the list of possible prohibited possessors to include anyone who has undergone 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. Please click the “Take Action” button below to contact the members of the House Judiciary Committee in opposition to HB 2632.