(BIVN) – A Hawaiʻi gun law was found to be unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court on Thursday.
In its opinion in Wolford v. Lopez, the Court overturned the State law prohibiting licensed concealed-carry permit holders from carrying handguns on private property open to the public without the property owner’s express authorization. The Supreme Court ruled the Hawaiʻi law violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments.
Three residents of Maui County who possess concealed-carry permits filed suit in federal court seeking temporary and permanent injunctive relief. The District Court enjoined enforcement of the law, but the injunction was reversed in the Ninth Circuit.
“The Hawaii law at issue here violates the constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” stated the opinion of the Court. “Therefore, the judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is reversed, and the case is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”
“Hawaii has the lowest rate of gun deaths in the country, largely because of our historically strong gun safety laws,” said U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (D, Hawaiʻi), who said the court ruling will make it easier for people to bring guns onto private property.
“Once again, this out-of-control Supreme Court majority is placing political ideology above protecting lives, making our state and our country less safe by expanding the presence of firearms,” Sen. Hirono stated. “As this Court exacerbates our nation’s gun violence crisis, I remain committed to working towards the common-sense gun safety policies our country desperately needs.”
