It shouldn’t take a tragedy for Congress to act on gun reform.
As a mom, my heart breaks that kids in this country aren’t safe in schools, and I am outraged at the plague of gun violence that is taking the lives of our loved ones as they’re grocery shopping, attending church, and going to work, just going about their day. It’s time to end the violence.
I fully support the gun reform bill recently passed by the U.S. House, but it doesn’t go far enough. I strongly support nationwide efforts to increase the age of gun ownership to 21, ban assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, mandate criminal background checks on gun purchases, including transfers of ownership, require licensure to own or purchase a gun, addressing the issue of home-made “ghost guns,” and enacting Red Flag Laws that allow family members, co-workers, and law enforcement to petition a court to remove guns from a person in crisis.
Hawaiʻi has among the strictest gun laws and the lowest levels of gun violence in the nation. During my 12 years in the Hawaiʻi State Senate, I repeatedly voted in support of measures that further strengthened our gun control and firearm permit laws.
While in the Senate, we prohibited the possession, manufacturing, sale, transfer, and importation of bump fire stocks and multi-burst trigger activators, making it a Class C felony.
We also passed a law requiring the immediate surrender of firearms and ammunition if a person has been disqualified from gun possession for reasons such as mental illness or being admitted to a psychiatric facility because even one day is far too long for a gun to be in the hands of a person who may pose a danger to themselves or others.
As part of the Women’s Legislative Caucus, we understood the severe threats to our families, especially in situations of domestic violence. We consistently introduced bills to strengthen gun control laws and protect women and families.
If elected to Congress, I pledge to continue fighting for safer communities and strengthening innovative gun reform legislation.