Hawaii’s gun laws are already among the strictest in the nation — and that’s a good thing, for public safety. That peace of mind requires constant tending, though, to maintain laws that balance the rights of law-abiding gun enthusiasts against the need for safeguards against unhinged violence. So whenever solid proposals emerge, Hawaii lawmakers should consider them seriously.
Two gun-control bills are now in legislative conference committee: One would ban “bump stocks,” devices that retrofit semiautomatic rifles to enable a firing rate akin to automatic weapons; the other would drastically cut the time — to seven days from the current 30 — that a gun owner disqualified from gun possession would have to surrender weapons. Both are worth passing.
“Bump stocks” were used by Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock, who killed 58 concertgoers and injured hundreds in last October’s attack. Since then, at least five states have banned the devices – and if passed here, as it should, the possession of bump stocks would be a felony. In a related, positive development this week: the largest manufacturer of bump stocks, Slide Fire Solutions based in Moran, Texas, announced that it will stop taking orders and shut down its website next month.
The second bill being considered would require a gun owner who is disqualified from gun ownership — due to a domestic TRO, for example — to surrender all guns within seven business days, much quicker than the current 30-day period. Activists calling for an even shorter turn-in period of 24 hours, citing urgency against potential violence, have a point — and if they and statistics can sway lawmakers, more power to them. At the very least, though, cutting the deadline to a week from a full month for disqualified owners would still be an improvement.
Support pours in for Kauai
More help is on the way — and not a moment too soon.
After a destructive weekend of flooding, the opening of financial floodgates are welcome indeed for the Kauai north shore and East Oahu communities. So far, a state emergency proclamation makes the stricken areas eligible for millions of dollars in federal reimbursements to repair storm drains, streams and other flood-damaged facilities. Much more rebuilding dollars are expected from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Highway Administration and the Small Business Administration.
Also, state legislators on Wednesday set aside $100 million to help finance Kauai’s recovery and $25 million for Oahu’s efforts — to be disbursed quickly pending the federal funds.
And it’s not just government; donors small and large are coming through. Among them: Facebook founder and part-time Kauai resident Mark Zuckerberg, with his wife Priscilla, have pledged $1 million to help. It’s certainly a welcome gesture, particularly after a land-acquisition flareup just over a year ago between Zuckerberg and some in the community. Another prominent donor: Hawaii resident and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, who with wife Pam donated $100,000 to establish the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Kauai Relief and Recovery Fund.
Aquarium fish harvesting on hold
Until recently, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) issued permits for the commercial harvesting of reef fish, in unlimited quantities, for aquariums. Harvesting for recreational purposes also was allowed, but limited to five fish a day.
The debate over this practice has been acrimonious.
Environmentalists and subsistence fishermen naturally are alarmed by an unfettered taking of fish from Hawaii’s already imperiled coral reefs, especially as harvesting techniques and equipment improve. The DLNR and the aquarium trade argue that the activity is sustainable and environmentally sound, a worthy fishery that adds about $2 million annually to Hawaii’s economy.
Last year, Gov. David Ige vetoed Senate Bill 1240, which would have required DLNR to define and establish “sustainable” collection practices, including catch limits for reef species, by 2019; bar the issuance of new licenses authorizing the use of fine-meshed traps and nets used by collectors; and prohibit the transfer of permits after five years. The bill would have, in effect, phased out the aquarium-fish trade — an extreme step.
Recent court rulings, however, have forced a time-out, and provide an opportunity for rethinking this contentious issue.
In September 2017, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that the state could not issue commercial permits without first conducting an environmental review. And just last week, a Circuit Court judge expanded that ban to include recreational harvesting.
It’s time to sort out this mess. As required by the Supreme Court ruling, draft environmental assessments of the commercial aquarium trade have been posted on the Office of Environmental Quality Control’s website; public comments are due by May 8.
