Hawaii Sen Will Espero wants gun owners to be entered into a Federal database
Hawaii could be the first state to put gun owners into a federal database, according to Stephen Fischer of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division.
In other states, people in “positions of trust,” such as teachers and bus drivers, are entered into a database called the “Rap Back.” With that said, no state has added gun owners to that list of monitored individuals until now.
Supporters of the bill said it would make Hawaii a leader in gun control laws, while responsible gun owners argue that possession of a firearm should not raise federal alarm.
Amy Hunter of the National Rifle Association said, “This is an extremely dangerous bill. Exercising a constitutional right is not inherently suspicious. Hawaii will now be treating firearms as suspect and subject to constant monitoring.”
A new bill introduced by Sen. Will Espero would require gun owners to be listed in a database that will notify police if a Hawaii resident is arrested in another state. The bill will undergo a review process by the Attorney General’s Office. If approved, Gov. David Ige can decide to sign it into law.
“You’re curtailing that right by requiring that a name be entered into a database without doing anything wrong,” said Kenneth Lawson, faculty at the University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson School of Law.
Legal experts say the bill could face challenges, but would probably hold up in court. Recent Supreme Court rulings have clarified states’ ability to regulate gun sales, said David Levine, a law professor at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.