Democrats in the Aloha State are in the final stages of passing a new law to raise the minimum age for purchasing ammunition to 21.
The 51-member Hawaii State House on April Fool's Day approved SB2845 with only five Representatives voting against the measure. The bill had previously passed the 25-member State Senate by a 22-3 vote. For the record, the entire state legislature only contains eight Republicans.
The proposal, which now goes to conference to work out differences between the versions passed by the respective chambers, not only bumps the age of purchase for ammunition to 21 and requires retailers to check the government-issued ID of purchasers to verify age, but also makes it a crime for adults under 21 to "own, possess, or control" ammunition. This means retailers and distributors could be criminally charged should they make a sale to those under 21.
The bill has a vague exception for those under 21 that are "actively engaged in hunting or target shooting or going to or from the place of hunting or target shooting," but leaves out any mention of possessing ammunition for defensive use or just what qualifies as "actively engaged."
In some 159 pages of submitted testimony on the bill's latest version, national gun control groups urged swift passage of the measure. At the same time, those opposed included both pro-2A organizations as well as the Hawaii Office of the Public Defender.
"Section 3 creates a new felony offense for anyone under 21 years old in possession or control of a firearm," noted the office headed by State Public Defender Jon Ikenaga. "This means that young people are categorically banned from carrying firearms for self-defense purposes. This ban runs afoul with the Supreme Court’s decisions about the Second Amendment, making it ripe for a challenge by the defense bar if prosecutors intend on using the statute and gun activists in the civil arena."
Meanwhile, Keely Hopkins, state director for the NRA-ILA in Hawaii, warned the legislation will not offer a public safety benefit and testified, "The Second Amendment is not a second-class right and should not be treated as such. Young law-abiding adults should be free to exercise their constitutionally protected rights, and a critical element of the Second Amendment is the ammunition needed for firearms to function."
Andrew Namiki Roberts, director of the pro-gun Hawaii Firearms Coalition, pointed out that federal regulations already cover age restrictions on ammo sales, going on to say, "this legislative measure is not only redundant but also potentially counterproductive to our shared goal of creating a safer society."
Should the conference clear SB2845, it will head to the desk of Gov. Josh Green, a career Democrat who has already signed anti-gun legislation into law during his tenure. Last year he strengthened the state's already infamously strict concealed carry laws at a public event while surrounded by advocates from national gun control organizations.
Banner image: A Stoeger M3000 Freedom Defense 12 Gauge semi-auto shotgun on a case of Federal Action Shotgun No. 7.5 Shot. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
