ACT 52 Threatens Second Amendment Rights in Hawaii: Lawsuit Filed to Challenge Unconstitutional Provisions

News Release from HiFiCo, June 23, 2023

Honolulu, Hawaii - Hawaii Firearms Coalition, together with three individuals, took a significant step today in defense of Second Amendment rights by filing a lawsuit against the state of Hawaii.

The legal action comes as a response to the governor's signing of ACT 52, a law that contains provisions with far-reaching consequences for carrying firearms within the state. If implemented, these provisions would effectively nullify the right to bear arms, infringing on the fundamental liberties of law-abiding citizens.

Under ACT 52, the right to carry a firearm for self-defense in public spaces would face a de facto ban, directly contradicting the Supreme Court's ruling in NYSRPA v. Bruen last year. This alarming development has prompted Hawaii Firearms Coalition, alongside the concerned individuals, to challenge the law's constitutionality in The United States District Court, District of Hawaii.

The lawsuit, filed on their behalf by Attorneys Alan Beck and Kevin O'Grady, specifically targets several problematic provisions within ACT 52, including the ban on carrying firearms at parks, beaches, banks, restaurants that serve alcohol, and their adjacent parking areas. Moreover, the legal action challenges other sections of the law that extend beyond sensitive places, such as the requirement for private property owners to explicitly allow individuals to exercise their constitutional rights on their premises.

Hawaii Firearms Coalition has been resolute in its stance against ACT 52 since its inception. As an organization committed to protecting the rights of its members and the more than 125,000 legal gun owners in Hawaii, the Coalition always vows to continue its fight for justice. It firmly believes that the provisions outlined in the law are flagrantly unconstitutional and trusts that the courts will ultimately rule in their favor.

---30---

PDF: COMPLAINT  

AP: The sun may be out, but guns are not. A lawsuit challenges a new gun ban on Hawaii beaches

HNN: Lawsuit filed against against Hawaii’s “sensitive places” gun law