Assault Rifles And Shotguns Would Still Be Allowed In Hawaiʻi Under Amended Bill

Gun rights advocates called it a win, while supporters of tougher measures said it was the best they could do to keep a version of the legislation alive.

By Madeleine Valera / February 27, 2024

Reading time: 4 minutes.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday to advance a bill that would tighten Hawaii’s assault weapons ban but with amendments that significantly reduce the types of firearms it covers. 

Senate Bill 3196 would ban 50-caliber rifles and magazines with over 20 rounds but would no longer prohibit assault rifles and assault shotguns as its original version said.

The state’s current assault weapons ban only covers assault pistols, which are semiautomatic pistols that accept detachable magazines. Hawaii is the only state with an assault weapons ban that doesn’t include assault rifles and assault shotguns, according to the bill.

Sen. Karl Rhoads, chair of the Judiciary Committee, voted in favor of an amended version of SB 3196. The bill would ban 50-caliber rifles and magazines with 20 rounds but no longer includes language prohibiting assault rifles or assault shotguns. (Screenshot Hawaii State Senate/2024)

Committee chair, Sen. Karl Rhoads, said the original version of the bill did not have enough votes to pass. 

Rhoads and Sens. Brandon Elefante and Joy San Buenaventura voted to pass the amended version, and Sens. Mike Gabbard and Brenton Awa voted against. The measure will now go to the Senate floor for a full vote.

Rhoads said he had “mixed emotions” about the amendments. Though he would like to see assault rifles, such as the AR-15, banned, he said the current version of the bill would cover other high-powered weapons, such as 50-caliber sniper rifles. 

“If this version passes, it would be a significant improvement over what we have today,” he said. 

But Chris Marvin, a Honolulu resident and veteran advisory council member of Everytown for Gun Safety, said the changes dramatically reduced the bill’s ability to help prevent gun violence. AR-15s have been used in more than half of mass shootings in the country over the last three years.

“This amendment tears the heart out of the bill but kind of keeps the bill alive,” he said.

He called it “unconscionable” that lawmakers approved the amendments after written messages referencing school shootings were found in bathrooms at three different schools on Maui last week.

According to a study in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, 82% of guns used in school shootings were stolen from family members. Marvin said keeping powerful weapons like assault rifles legal will make them more accessible to those who may want to use them for harm. 

“I’m happy that the bill is not completely dead, but the bill as it is, if it passes into law, will not protect our children, it will not save our communities from devastation, and the legislators who weakened this bill will be the ones we need to ask for answers when inevitably a massive tragedy happens in our state,” he said. 

But Andrew Namiki Roberts of the Hawaii Firearms Coalition called the amendments “a win for gun rights.” 

Though he doesn’t agree with any version of the bill, he said the original version went too far by proposing to ban all semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines. These types of weapons are popular for hunting, competitive shooting and self defense, he said. 

“They were trying to ban 90% of all firearms,” he said. “We’re not talking about a select few firearms that may be used in a mass shooting.”

Marvin said the types of ammunition used in assault rifles are too destructive for hunting. 

“Every single person who is against an assault weapons ban wants it for their selfish reasons so they can enjoy shooting a weapon that is a hobby for them,” he said. “Lawmakers choosing gun hobbyists over the safety of all the children in Hawaii is reprehensible.”