Lawmakers eye ban for using guns drunk ADVERTISING Lawmakers eye ban for using guns drunk HONOLULU (AP) — Like the rest of the country, Hawaii residents aren’t allowed to drink and drive. But there’s no state law stopping them from
Lawmakers eye ban for using guns drunk
HONOLULU (AP) — Like the rest of the country, Hawaii residents aren’t allowed to drink and drive. But there’s no state law stopping them from using a gun while drunk.
State lawmakers are considering a bill to ban residents from operating or possessing firearms while using drugs or alcohol. The state Attorney General’s Office says current laws don’t explicitly ban people from using guns while intoxicated.
The bill comes in the midst of a national debate about gun control.
Honolulu Police Department Maj. Richard Robinson says most U.S. states enacted laws restricting the use of firearms while intoxicated.
Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Hawaii has the lowest gun-death and ownership rate in the nation in 2014.
More than 33,000 Americans were killed by gunfire that same year.
Suit seeking dismissal of rail votes dismissed
HONOLULU (AP) — A judge dismissed a lawsuit that sought to invalidate Honolulu City Council votes on the city’s $6 billion rail project.
Campbell Estate heiress Abigail Kawananakoa brought the lawsuit that claimed current and former council members didn’t disclose conflicts of interest before voting on the project and that those votes should be invalidated.
A judge dismissed the case Tuesday.
The Honolulu Ethics Commission settled accusations against council members Romy Cachola and Nestor Garcia and dismissed claims against Councilman Ikaika Anderson and former council members Ann Kobayashi and Donovan Dela Cruz.
The officials were accused of accepting gifts from lobbyists and then voting on rail bills that were favorable to the lobbyists.
The lawsuit was filed in September, while the cases against Anderson, Dela Cruz and Kobayashi were pending before the commission.
City attorney Donna Leong said in a statement that she was pleased by Tuesday’s ruling.
“It provides assurances to the people of the city that the City Council’s legislative actions, many of which involve complex policy decisions, such as the rail project, will not be overturned by the judicial branch of government based on an alleged violation of the standards of conduct,” Leong said.
An attorney for Kawanakoa said she plans to appeal the case.
“Ms. Kawananakoa has known from Day 1 that this issue isn’t going to be resolved until an appellate court rules on it,” attorney James Bickerton said.
