2020-02-04 Letter to Clarence Nishihara and Glenn Wakai. SB 2002, 2437, 2518, 2519, 2635, 2943, 3053, 3054

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• -0.1g:17,9-t7 llllll • Roy Takemoto . 41.* tp Managing Director Harry Kim N' • Mayor -' �- 41r ".F NA."•°•ri►.- • ,Barbara J.Kossow F O • ,Deputy Managing Director • County of Hawaii • Office of the Mayor 25 Aupuni Street,Suite 2603 • Hilo, Hawaii 96720 • (808)961-8211 • Fax(808)961-6553 KONA: 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy., Bldg C • Kailua-Kona,Hawaii 96740 (808)323-4444 • Fax(808)323-4440 February 4, 2020 Senator Clarence K. Nishihara, Chair Senator Glenn Wakai, Vice Chair Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, & Military Affairs Hawaii State Legislature Dear Chair Nishihara, Vice-Chair Wakai, and Committee members: RE: SB 2002 Relating to Firearms SB 2437 Relating to Electric Guns SB 2518 Relating to Firearms SB 2519 Relating to Firearms SB 2635 Relating to Firearms Ammunition SB 2943 Relating to Firearms SB 3053 Relating to Firearms SB 3054 Relating to Firearm Registration The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States provides for freedom of religion, speech, and press; and the right to peaceably assemble and to petition the government. Yet, as fundamental and sacrosanct as those values are to America, few if any would argue that those freedoms are not subject to reasonable restrictions (take the cliché of"yelling `Fire' in a crowded theater"). Similarly, the Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear arms. This right, too, must be subject to reasonable restrictions, or else we would each be able to have our own machine gun mounted on our mantelpiece or strapped over our shoulders. So the question comes down to what is reasonable. That should be determined by a free people acting through their elected representatives, in this case our State Legislature. And given the times in which we live, and the carnage that we have witnessed both in our own state and across the country, I thank you for taking on the divisive but crucial task of deciding what reasonable restrictions might be. You have seven bills on today's agenda that would impinge on the right to keep and bear arms: SB 2002 would prohibit possession of a loaded firearm while intoxicated. One would hope that this is not a difficult issue on which to find common ground, though I expect some will disagree. SB 2518 implies that its adoption would make Hawaii's license-to-carry-firearms law stronger against attack in court. If this Committee finds that to be true, I support it. I have not been able to independently verify that assertion, and hope you will hear from the administration and other law enforcement. County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.