Senate Fails its Constituents on SB 401 Despite Polling Showing that 75% of Registered Voters in Hawai’i Support a Ban on the Sale of Military-Style Rifles like AR-15s
HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i chapter of Moms Demand Action, part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, issued the following statement after lawmakers in the Senate failed to pass SB 401. The legislation would have closed a dangerous gap in Hawaiʻi law that currently prohibits assault pistols but not assault weapons that are shotguns or rifles, such as AR-15s.
“Today, lawmakers had an opportunity to right a wrong – instead they doubled down by allowing the weapon of choice for mass shooters to continue to be sold across our islands,” said Erica Yamauchi, a volunteer with the Hawaiʻi chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Whenever tragedy strikes next, we’ll ask ourselves what could have we done to prevent it. That moment of reckoning? It was right now. The answer was passing SB 401. Instead, Senate lawmakers caved to the pressure of the gun lobby and our communities will pay the price.”
“It’s clear the days of shady backroom deals and political cowardice are alive and well in the Hawai‘i Senate,” said Capt. Chris Marvin, U.S. Army Ret., a resident of Honolulu and Everytown Veteran Lead. “It is our elected leaders’ obligation to advance legislation their constituents support – instead they went out of their way to do the exact opposite and cave to the gun lobby.”
THE FLIP-FLOPPERS: Senator Glenn Wakai, one of the earliest introducers of SB 401, introduced similar legislation last session, championed the 2023 bill addressing the Supreme Court’s reckless Bruen decision, and voted for SB 401 in committee and conference. Today, Senator Wakai abruptly changed his vote. Senate President Ron Kouchi departed from Senate Chairs, flipped and voted to adopt the amendment, knowing it would kill the bill.
WHAT HAPPENED: Senate lawmakers defeated an amendment that would have effectively gutted SB 401. But, moments later, Senate President Ron Kouchi called up the same amendment again to redo the vote, which then passed 13-12, effectively gutting the life-saving legislation. In the revote, Senator Kidani, who initially voted against the amendment, changed her vote, and Senators Wakai and Kouchi, who publicly supported the legislation, caved to the gun lobby when it mattered most. SB 401 had cleared both chambers and a conference committee, and today’s vote was the final step for final passage.
UNDEMOCRATIC: Despite recent polling of registered voters showing that 75% of registered voters in the state support a ban on the sale of military-style semiautomatic rifles like AR-15s, legislative leadership dragged their feet, waiting until the last day before the deadline to appoint conference committee members in an attempt to run out the clock. Organizations across the state endorsed SB 401, including the Hawaii Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Hawaii Public Health Association, Hawaii Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Hawaii Children’s Action Network and countless others.
In an average year, 64 people die by guns. Though gun violence is low overall, it’s increasing faster than the national average – the rate of gun deaths in Hawaiʻi has increased 84% from 2014 to 2023, compared to a 34% increase nationwide. Hawai‘i has also experienced a 280% increase in gun permit applications since 2000. More information on gun violence in Hawai’i is available here.