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IN AND AROUND THE CAPITOL
Bill requiring gun
By Richard Borreca
owners to re-register is
born again
Star-BulletinA bill to require gun owners to re-register their guns every five years is back on track after Senate leaders worked out a compromise.
Last week, the bill appeared stalled in the Senate after Sen. Cal Kawamoto's Intergovernment Affairs Committee objected to a requirement that gun owners bring in their weapons for re-registration.
Kawamoto and Sens. Matt Matsunaga and Avery Chumbley changed the bill to require that gun owners register by mail.
"We got the registration bill and I think it is one that the more enthusiastic gun owners can live with," Kawamoto said.
Matsunaga said Hawaii would be the first jurisdiction in the country to require the re-registration of firearms.
Included in the compromise proposal is a provision permitting only registered gun owners to buy ammunition.
"Arguably, this is a first step," said Matsunaga, "But it is an important one."
The bill is a combination of two of three Cayetano administration bills this year.
The third measure, which has little support in either the House or Senate, would have required a gun owners to store his weapons in a commercial safe that would have to be securely mounted in a house or apartment.
Yesterday the Judiciary Committee met with the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee and worked out the compromise. Today the bill is expected to clear the Judiciary Committee and then will be up for a vote by the Senate.
"I think the Senate will pass it, it has a real good chance of passing," Matsunaga said.
The bill has strong support in the state House, with most of the opposition coming from neighbor island representatives, who represent hunters in rural districts.
Republican Sen. Sam Slom, however, voted against the gun-control measure yesterday, saying it would not control criminal behavior.
"There is no way that this is going to control criminals. The only thing it does is allow the government to develop a master list of people with guns."
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The Legislative Reference Bureau's public access room, state Capitol, room 401. Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Phone: 587-0478; fax, 587-0793; TTY, 538-9670.
Neighbor islanders, call toll-free and enter ext. 70478 after the number:
Big Island, 974-4000; Maui,
984-2400; Kauai, 274-3141;
Molokai and Lanai, 468-4644.
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