Honolulu police on Oahu, Hawaii issued the first concealed carry permit for the county today. This revolutionary impact of SCOTUS’ Bruen decision marks the first substantive victory in a long list of cases that are being fought right now in courts from NY and NJ, to CA and more, as anti-gun legislatures attempt to circumvent the highest court in the land. Hawaii was the first to fall, in what looks more and more like a massive domino arrangement.
As significant as this Hawaii win is, it’s worth noting that this was just the first of hundreds of applications submitted since November, and there is still resistance, most notably in mentions of potentially denoting “sensitive areas” where carry might be prohibited. Given how well this same end-run is going for NY, CA, and NJ, it’s unlikely that it will succeed in the end, but it may well have to go to SCOTUS to be put entirely to bed.
Hawaii, though small, going to shall-issue is a major win for pro-gun advocates as it has been among the most strident of anti-gun legislatures for decades. The small island chain has a limited amount of both public and private land, meaning gun ranges make up most of the potential shooting spots. Unlike many of us on the mainland, heading out to a patch of BLM land to bust caps really just isn’t a thing for most of Hawaii. This means private range fees stack on top of permit and transfer fees, potentially pricing the poorest of Hawaiians out of gun ownership. Much is yet to be done to improve the situation, but this dramatic first step is a harbinger of what’s to come both in Hawaii and across the country as the Bruen decision’s impact is truly felt for the first time.
