Kama plans two changes to county’s Taser rules, slated to be heard Friday

Two proposed changes to a bill that will create a way for legally buying and selling Tasers and other electric guns in Maui County were announced Thursday.

The pair of bills on electric gun legislation will be up for second and final reading at Maui County Council on Friday. 

Council Member Tasha Kama in a news release said that the planned changes include consolidating the county’s administrative responsibilities for electric gun dealer licensing and clarifying the business insurance requirements for electric gun sellers.

Both have been deemed non-substantive changes by county lawyers and should not hold up the approval process, according to the release. 

A lawsuit against the county by pro-gun groups allege that the county is too slow in enacting rules to buy and sell guns and therefore interfering with federal and state rights. However, the county has said it is following due process on legislation that will create a pathway to buy and sell the guns.

State law allowing electric gun sales went into effect Jan. 1, and counties are required to come up with ways to implement the rule.

Kama had brought the proposed legislation to her committee for discussion. Then, the pair of bills were unanimously approved by full council on first reading. 

At the council meeting Friday, Kama plans to ask the council to waive the rule governing amendments proposed at second and final reading “out of an abundance of caution,” the release said. 

She hopes the bills will be passed out of council Friday and sent to the mayor for approval, it added.

For more information on the amendments, visit Maui County Council agendas and click on “Meeting Materials” for the April 22 council meeting. Select Bill 39 CD1 under “Bills – Second and Final Reading.”