SB 1342
SB 1342
Sneaky or necessary?
In Wednesday’s WHT newspaper there was a front page articles explaining the Senate Bill 1342 now moving through the Senate that would allow the state government to seize the assets of someone convicted of a misdemeanor or a petty misdemeanor.
At first I thought about someone having their house confiscated following conviction of a crime such as holding cockfights or poker games for money at their residence. But then it occurred to me that this proposed legislation could be a back-door way of the state government confiscating firearms via forfeiture for a petty misdemeanor somehow tied to their firearm, such as trespassing while hunting.
It reminded me of how the federal government attempted to regulate firearm ammunition via the EPA regulating lead as a hazardous material and regulating all items containing lead. That is partly why lead-free ammunition is quite popular these days.
If any readers of WHT are concerned that SB 1342 will include the forfeiture or confiscation of their firearm if convicted of a misdemeanor or a petty misdemeanor while in possession of such firearm, they may want to contact their state Senate representative and express their concerns.
The same goes for confiscation of a house for conviction of cockfights or even illegal gambling there at a Super Bowl party or a poker game.
I would not want to have the state confiscate my kayak if convicted of landing illegally on state owned oceanfront property. I do not own a firearm, but I do own a kayak, which I would not want to forfeit to the state. I’ll pay the fine already on the books, but I’d like to keep my kayak, thanks.
Is SB 1342 necessary? Or is it a sneaky way to confiscate private property or redistribute wealth? Ask Sen. Josh Green.
Glenn Johansen
Kailua-Kona
Mahalo
Hospital appreciation
We would like to send out a big mahalo to all the nurses in the OBGYN at the Kona Community Hospital who helped in the birth of our son on Feb. 6.
They all made us feel well taken care of, and our experience in their hospital comfortable.
We would like to say thank you to all the nurses who took care of us during delivery and after. And to the doctors and pediatricians who helped with the delivery our son.
This is a very happy time in our lives and we thank the Kona Community Hospital OBGYN team for its compassion and fine teamwork in giving us a comfortable experience during this special time in our lives.
The Bicardo Family
Kailua-Kona