Acquiring a firearm in Hawaii has never been easier than it is right now, and the state Legislature spent much of last session updating laws to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court decision that loosened gun regulations. One issue lawmakers didn’t address, however, was what types of firearms are legal in the state.

It turns out there is a glaring loophole in current Hawaii law that allows civilians to own military-style semi-automatic rifles.

An internet search for “states with assault weapons bans” would lead one to believe that Hawaii has this law on the books. New York, California, Washington, D.C., and seven other states all prohibit assault-style weapons. In addition, five more states are currently considering similar bills.

In states with prohibitions, the laws restrict the features that make assault-style weapons so deadly. They prohibit the AR-15 and other similar semi-automatic rifles, which have been used in the country’s deadliest mass shootings.

The carnage we’ve seen at Parkland, Newtown, Uvalde, Lewiston, El Paso, Las Vegas, and too many more, is the result of these weapons.

You would be forgiven for thinking that all assault weapons are already prohibited in Hawaii. The fact is, the state currently only prohibits assault pistols, which is why we’re often included with states that ban all assault weapons.

This is a huge loophole. Our current law fails to ban assault rifles, which are the more common and much more deadly form of assault weapons.

Before the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision in 2022, which forced Hawaii to change our laws regarding permits to carry firearms, the assault rifle loophole wasn’t as dangerous as it is today. Then, we had a rigorous process to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, and law enforcement had a lot of latitude to ensure assault weapons didn’t proliferate across the islands and show up in public places.

The firearm permitting process today, while still as rigorous as the Supreme Court will allow, makes it frighteningly easy to acquire and carry an assault rifle in public, if only by default.

That means a civilian with little training can get their hands on essentially the same firearm that I carried in combat in Afghanistan. These gas-operated weapons instantaneously load round after round of 5.56 mm ammunition, allowing soldiers to suppress and kill the enemy, en masse. These rifles don’t belong outside of the battlefield or the well-trained hands of the military. They are a poor choice for hunting game and are awkward for at-home self-defense.

Simply put, military-style assault rifles have one purpose: killing humans quickly and efficiently.

Luckily there is an easy fix. The state Senate is considering a bill, Senate Bill 3196, that will close the loophole and prohibit all assault-style weapons, including rifles.

The big gun lobby will fly people in from the continent to oppose it, but they don’t speak for the people of Hawaii, who have long enjoyed lives relatively free from gun violence and mass shootings.

This bill enjoys enormous favorable public sentiment. Yet, because so many people think this law already exists, this bill may not get the attention it deserves. To ensure this crucial gun safety loophole is closed, lawmakers must hear from their constituents.

So, even if you’re not the kind of person who typically writes to their state legislator, take the time today to contact them, and let them know that you support a law that will prohibit all assault-style weapons.

This law would, once again, make Hawaii a leader in gun safety. We owe it to ourselves and to our keiki.