Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, February 7, 2013
NRA: Deeply Flawed Hawaii Mental Health Bill to be Heard Friday
By News Release @ 3:07 AM :: 6495 Views :: Health Care, Second Amendment

Hawaii: Deeply Flawed Mental Health Bill to be Heard Friday

From NRA-ILA February 6, 2013 

Senate Bill 932 is scheduled to be heard THIS FRIDAY at 1:35 p.m. in conference room 229 of the State Capitol by the Senate Health (HTH) and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs (PSM) committees. 

SB 932, introduced by state Senators Josh Green (D-3), Suzanne Chun Oakland (D-13), Clarence Nishihara (D-17), Russell Ruderman (D-2), and Maile Shimabukuro (D-21) is a terribly flawed mental health bill that must be defeated. Under this proposed legislation, Hawaiians would be subject to warrantless entry into their homes, warrantless seizure of their firearms and other weapons based solely on a mere “report” by a so-called “mental health professional.” This bill is blatantly unconstitutional as it mandates no before-the-fact due process or corroboration. 

For more than four and a half decades, the National Rifle Association has been urging the federal government to address the problem of mental illness and violence. More recently, the NRA has supported legislation, including the NICS Improvement Act (NIAA), to ensure that appropriate records of those who have been judged mentally incompetent or involuntarily committed to mental institutions be made available for use in firearms transfer background checks.  The NRA supports reasonable steps to fix America’s broken mental health system without intruding on the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans.

One of the most frightening aspects of SB 932 is its definition of a “mental health professional.” The bill defines them as: “a psychologist, psychiatrist, physician, social worker, or counselor.” This means that a family doctor, who has no specialized mental health training, could file a report to a law enforcement agency which would result in the confiscation of an individual’s firearms. Furthermore, the “mental health professionals” who would be afforded the power to take away a constitution right, would be exempt from all civil or criminal liability, and only subject to a misdemeanor for false reporting. 

It is imperative that you contact the members of the HTH and PSM committees TODAY and respectfully express your opposition to this deeply disturbing bill.  Also, demand that these legislators tell you what Hawaii is doing to comply with the NIAA.  The committee members’ contact information is provided for you below – please note, some Senators serve on both committees.

---30--- 

Senate Committee on Health

Senator Josh Green (D-3), Chair

(808) 586-9385

sengreen@capitol.hawaii.gov

Senator Rosalyn Baker (D-6), Vice Chair

(808) 586-6070

senbaker@capitol.hawaii.gov

Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland (D-13)

(808) 586-6130

senchunoakland@capitol.hawaii.gov

Senator Clarence Nishihara (D-17)

(808) 586-6970

sennishihara@capitol.hawaii.gov

Senator Sam Slom (R-9)

(808) 586-8420

senslom@capitol.hawaii.gov

Senate Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs:

Senator Will Espero (D-19), Chair

(808) 586-6360

senespero@capitol.hawaii.gov

Senator Rosalyn Baker (D-6), Vice Chair

(808) 586-6070

senbaker@capitol.hawaii.gov

Senator Brickwood Galuteria (D-12)

(808) 586-6740

sengaluteria@capitol.hawaii.gov

Senator Josh Green (D-3)

(808) 586-9385

sengreen@capitol.hawaii.gov

Senator Sam Slom (R-9)

(808) 586-8420

senslom@capitol.hawaii.gov

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii