Hawaii Members! Please Attend Hearing On Prohibition Of Ammo Sales!

SB2170, which prohibits sale of ammunition unless purchaser shows registration for the firearm for which the ammunition is to be purchased and personal I.D., is scheduled for a hearing before the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, Senator Colleen Hanabusa, Chair, Monday, February 23, 2004, 9am, Rm 229 at the State Capitol. It`s an old feel-good bill, reintroduced by the Keiki coalition and Senate Judiciary Vice Chair, Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland. http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessioncurrent/bills/sb2170_.htm gives the whole text and http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessioncurrent/hearingnotices/JHW_02-19-04-2_.htm gives the hearing notice.

According to Prof. John Lott, laws like this have no effect on abuse or accident rates from firearms and ammunition, but result in increases in violent felonies because they restrict access to firearms and ammunition by armed law-abiding citizens, the best known deterrent to violent crime.The bill virtually enacts retroactive registration of long guns by forcing owners of lawfully unregistered rifles and shotguns to carry them down to their county police and register them if they want ammunition for them. It places unnecessary legal and administrative burdens on gun shops. The federal government many years ago dropped its requirement that gun shops keep records of ammunition sales and check and record I.D.`s. It would cripple our state mandated firearms safety training programs for which we supply ammunition. It would require rural gun owners each to take a half day off work to go to town (fly to Maui if you`re a Lanai resident) to buy a box of shot shells for bird hunting season. Dependent wives of military would be unable to buy ammunition legally if their husband is serving in Iraq. All for no gain in public safety, while encouraging violent criminals.

You can submit testimony via e-mail to: [email protected], by 9am this Sunday, Feb 22. Include the bill number, your strong opposition, and the time and place of the hearing as given above.