Latest news with #JillTokuda
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Police, state support legislation to monitor parts for ghost guns
Honolulu police and state law enforcement officials are hoping a proposed piece of federal legislation will help stop the proliferation of untraceable, homemade firearms in Hawaii. The so-called ghost guns are firearms made privately and not marked with a serial number. They are almost impossible for law enforcement to trace when used during a crime, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The Gun Hardware Oversight and Shipment Tracking Act of 2025, aka the 'Ghost Act, ' would create within the DOJ the Federal Interstate Firearm Parts Reporting System to assist law enforcement officers in 'monitoring the shipment or transportation of covered firearm components in interstate or foreign commerce, ' according to draft language of the legislation, introduced today by U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii. The measure would require that five business days before an 'entity ships or transports in interstate or foreign commerce a covered firearm component, ' the entity must register the shipment or transportation of the covered firearm component by submitting the 'name, physical mailing address, phone number or electronic mail address, and the eligible identification number ' of the entity and the intended recipient. Documenting the shipping method, name of the shipper, a list or manifest of items, and the use of registered or certified mail are among the requirements of the proposed legislation. Any violation of the proposed law would result in a fine and up to a year in federal prison. If the violation involves 50 or more 'covered firearm components as part of a single act, commission, conspiracy, or enterprise, ' it is punishable by a fine and up to 10 years in federal prison. State law already bans ghost guns in Hawaii. A measure enacted in 2020 made it a felony to buy, make or import firearm parts for the purpose of assembling guns with no serial numbers. The recently concluded legislative session resulted in further firearms regulation via House Bill 392, which bans ghost guns across the islands. Gov. Josh Green last month signed the legislation, now known as Act 18. Speaking to reporters after a 3D gun-assembly demonstration by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives at the Honolulu Police Department's Ke Kula Maka'i training division in Waipahu, Tokuda said the proposed legislation is about public safety and transparency, and that legal firearm owners, manufactures and retailers would not be negatively affected. 'You can have a file downloaded online and print it on a 3D printer, put it all together and you've got a machine gun—right now. That's really what we are fighting here, ' Tokuda said. 'This is about accountability, this is about traceability. This is something that legal gun owners should embrace because, really, we know the ones that are trying to be untraceable are the ones causing chaos on our streets. This in no way infringes on their abilities and their rights … this is about holding people accountable. 'Let's not make it easy for people to buy the parts that they need to make (illegal ) weapons … endangering law enforcement … killing … innocent lives across this country, ' she added. 'That's what the Ghost Act is all about.' Last year, HPD confiscated found during criminal investigations through Oct. 31, a nearly 70 % increase from the 52 found by officers in 2023, the first year the department started tracking the statistic. 'It's a great act to help us in law enforcement have an idea about what and who is bringing parts into the City and County of Honolulu and … the State of Hawaii so we as law enforcement can help keep everyone safe on our streets, ' said Honolulu Police Chief Arthur 'Joe ' Logan, speaking alongside Tokuda and Mike Lambert, director of the state Department of Law Enforcement. Nationally from 2016 through 2021, 45, 240 ghost guns taken from crime scenes, including 692 murders or attempted murders, were reported to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives by law enforcement agencies. But county, state and federal law enforcement have no idea of the true number of homemade weapons that are on the street. Lambert said that under the proposed federal statute, lists of regulated firearm parts would be shared with law enforcement. Seeing the number of gun kits and firearm parts being shipped to Hawaii, where they are coming from and who is receiving them would help identify people prohibited from possessing guns. 'We actually have no idea about how many ghost guns … homemade weapons, there are (in Hawaii ) because these parts … (are ) not currently tracked or regulated. We would be able to know … how many of these kits are coming into the state … . Right now we have no clue, ' said Lambert, a former HPD major. 'If you are a legal gun owner and you are selling a part to someone … you want to make sure that individual is allowed to acquire that … (and ) they are a real person and they are not a felon. For me, as a legal gun owner, I have no problem registering a part to know it's going to a real person versus I'm sending it out to someone with a fictitious name and they do something terrible with it.' Ghost guns can be built from scratch or with parts kits, including 'buy-build-shoot ' kits and 3D printers. Buy-build-shoot kits are pre-made, disassembled, complete firearms. Video tutorials on YouTube detail how to make polymer handguns or rifles with the same tools hobbyists use for modeling and crafting. Other instructions online walk viewers though how to build and insert a 10-cent piece of 3D-printed plastic into a personally manufactured AR-15-style assault rifle that allows the weapon to fire automatically. Skilled ghost gun makers can make an assault rifle with a 3D printer in two to three hours.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal, local law enforcement aim to crack down on ghost guns
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Honolulu Police Department said more ghost guns are being recovered at crime scenes, and now state and federal officials are cracking down on the weapons. Ghost guns do not have serial numbers and can be assembled from kits and 3-D printers, making them virtually untraceable when used to commit crimes. Honolulu ambulance out of service following head-on collision On May 12, Hawaii Congresswoman Jill Tokuda said she'll introduce a bill in Washington D.C. on May 13 called the 'Ghost Act,' which looks to track gun parts that are shipped in the mail. With the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms on scene on May 12, Tokuda, the Department of Law Enforcement and Honolulu Police Chief Joe Logan showed reporters examples of 3-D printed gun parts and kits. They showed the parts that can be ordered online to assemble a gun, and then the pieces that are made with the printer, which can create a deadly weapon when put enforcement officials showed even the smallest pieces can be made with a printer to modify a gun. Logan said parents should be aware that the plastic pieces could look like toys, but they're not. 'We're having criminals that are legally purchasing [the top] online because it's unregulated and then printing the bottom,' said DLE Director Mike Lambert while showing an example of a ghost gun in his hand. 'So with this act, we will be able to know from law enforcement how many of these kits are coming into the state.' The act would require the buyer to sign off on the item when it arrives in the mail, and law enforcement will be able to see if the person is a registered gun owner or a felon. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news 'This is something a legal gun owner should embrace because we all know the ones that are trying to be untraceable, they are the ones causing chaos on our streets,' Tokuda said. 'This doesn't infringe on ability or rights, it's about accountability.' According to HPD data provided to the legislature in 2025, HPD confiscated 84 ghost guns from January to November 2024, compared to 34 ghost guns confiscated during the same time in 2023. The DLE and HPD said the new legislation will help track who is bringing what into the island. Windward Mall converts to a volleyball court for the weekend 'There are over 500,000 registered firearms in the state of Hawaii,' Lambert said. 'We literally have no clue when parts are coming in and then being constructed into final weapons and that's the issue.' It's already a felony to possess or make unserialized parts in Hawaii, but the Honolulu Prosecutor's Office says the law doesn't reach the assembled gun itself. A bill sitting on Gov. Josh Green's desk clearly defines a ghost gun and would make it illegal to possess, transfer or sell a ghost gun. It would also enhance sentencing for people who use a ghost gun to commit a felony. 'In the past when we have received cases involving firearms that were not serialized, we charged them under the Place to Keep statute (Section 134-23 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes),' the Honolulu Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. 'The bill that is awaiting Governor Green's signature was part of the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney's legislative package this session. We submitted this bill because Hawaii does not have a ghost gun law with a definition of a ghost gun. This bill will close that gap.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Japan Forward
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Abduction Issue 'Won't Be Resolved Until Everyone Returns'
(Washington) Seventeen members of the United States Congress, both Republican and Democratic, have sent a letter to President Donald Trump (a Republican) urging him to prioritize the return of Japanese abductees as he develops his policies toward North Korea. Representative Jill Tokuda (Hawaii) played a central role in putting the letter together. In a telephone interview with The Sankei Shimbun , she commented on the abduction issue, saying, "This issue won't be resolved until everyone is returned home." Excerpts follow. A man passes Japanese and US flags hanging side by side on the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, DC on April 5, 2024. (© Reuters/File Photo) As a parent myself, I cannot imagine the grief and pain of families who want to hold their missing children and know what happened, even after decades. This letter is an effort to bring clarity to the abduction issue. Megumi Yokota was abducted on her way home from school when she was 13. (Family photo) Japan is America's closest ally, and Japan's sorrow is our sorrow. It is especially important for a fourth-generation Japanese American like me to call for a resolution to these tragedies of the past. It is essential to show Japan that America's friendship and the alliance go beyond economics and defense. The United States has a moral and legal obligation to support Japan in this difficult time and press for a resolution. The abductions are a humanitarian issue and, without a doubt, a nonpartisan issue. It's about ensuring that human rights are respected around the world and seeking justice for those abducted from Japan and other countries. US Representative Jill Tokuda of Hawaii (Courtesy of her office) I sincerely hope that he will have the abduction issue raised in every contact with North Korea. The families of the victims are running out of time. North Korea may believe that the abduction issue has been resolved. But this issue will not be resolved until the fate of the 17 victims is clarified and all of them return home. Mr Trump and others need to make North Korea aware of the abduction issue in every contact or dialogue with that country. It is important to seek Mr Trump's full cooperation and support to ensure that the abduction issue is not forgotten and that it is addressed in every engagement with North Korea. (Read the interview in Japanese .) Author: Kazuyuki Sakamoto (Washington)
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EPA funding freeze could jeopardize vulnerable communities
COURTESY OF THE HAWAII STATE SENATE 'In Hawaii we understand that you cannot disentangle culture, history and people from a place, and we need to get this administration to understand that.' Jill Tokuda U.S. representative, D-Hawaii COURTESY OF THE HAWAII STATE SENATE 'In Hawaii we understand that you cannot disentangle culture, history and people from a place, and we need to get this administration to understand that.' Jill Tokuda U.S. representative, D-Hawaii A federally funded environmental justice project in Waianae has stalled since the Environmental Protection Agency froze a $3 million grant, halting efforts to empower Native Hawaiian communities and investigate long-standing water quality concerns tied to cesspools and landfills. The Earth Island Institute's Huliau o Waianae initiative, led by local nonprofit Kingdom Pathways, was launched in partnership with Native Hawaiian leaders to train community advisers, collect water quality data and amplify local voices in environmental decision-making. Though the project officially launched in January after receiving the grant in late December, the EPA froze the funds soon after. Only the project manager remains employed, and plans to fill up to 25 roles are on hold. Advisory positions remain vacant, and momentum has stalled despite a federal court order directing the EPA to release the funds. 'At the end of the day, it's our kuleana to move forward with the project, but we really have to bend over backwards to make things work, ' Kingdom Pathways co-founder Carmen Guzman-Simpliciano said. The freeze is part of a broader rollback under EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who has targeted environmental justice programs. In April the agency issued termination notices to nearly 200 staff members in its Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights after months of administrative leave. Earth Island and other partners have sued the EPA, calling the freeze unlawful and warning that it harms front-line communities. 'We are going to do many things : health assessments, learn about policies and train advisers, do water testing and air quality monitoring, ' Guzman-Simpliciano said. 'The funding freeze affected us a lot. We had to end up scrapping our whole plans and starting again on a smaller scale. We talk about health assessments that come with a price tag, then you talk about hiring paid jobs for these advisers. That was a big price ticket itself. So everything has to just get scrapped and start fresh, re-create our whole initial plan to make it fit.' Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. The EPA has not provided an official explanation for the freeze. The delay has left subrecipient staff unpaid and blocked the formation of the project's advisory board. 'This was our first year receiving a federal grant, and then the funding froze, ' said Guzman-Simpliciano. 'We don't have much money. Before all these grants came in, because we are so new, we spent our money out of pocket.' The project was inspired by Guzman-Simpliciano's personal experience. Her son contracted a staph infection after swimming in Pokai Bay. She later learned such infections had plagued local swimmers for over 20 years. That incident prompted grassroots water testing that found fecal bacteria levels above state health standards. Her data led to collaboration with the Department of Health and a deeper look at cesspools and landfills in the area. 'None of this happens unless somebody cares enough to get and dig in, to do the research, add the data, present it, then turn it over into the state and find ways on how to go about it and possibly change some regulations or laws, ' she said. Unlike organizations focused on education, Guzman-Simpliciano said her team aims to collect original data to inform environmental policy. They planned to train Native Hawaiian advisers to monitor water quality in high-risk areas, including near the PVT landfill, which sits on a water table and accepts demolition debris from across Oahu. 'If we're unaware of that water quality and no one's monitoring, we wouldn't know, ' she said. 'Just like Pokai Bay—that's been going on for 20 years until we came in and took action and brought all these things to light.' Despite legal battles and delays, she said the team remains committed. 'If we don't have that research or that data, then who's going to do it ?' For many Native Hawaiians, 'climate change ' can feel disconnected from their daily lives. Guzman-Simpliciano, who is Native Hawaiian, explained that they understand environmental shifts by observing nature. Physical events like king tides washing over roads are more immediate than abstract climate science. Seeing these changes, she said, can make the broader concept of climate change harder to grasp. Still, she recognizes climate change is real. 'There is a need to shift our mindset, ' she said, noting that pollution, heat and other factors are having real effects. She stressed the importance of observing local changes and understanding their impact within Hawaii's cultural context, where land, history and traditions shape the community's view of the environment. Guzman-Simpliciano said it's troubling when federal agencies overlook Hawaii's cultural perspective and delay projects like hers. The freeze, she said, feels like silencing those who had stepped up to protect their land. Her team also discovered that dry streams in Waianae were due not to climate change, but to illegal water diversions by six people—a revelation that challenges oversimplified explanations for environmental issues. U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, said the administration fails to recognize the importance of culture, history and place in environmental decisions. 'The real challenge that we are going to have is that this administration does not recognize, quite frankly, the value of culture, history and even sense of place in decisions about resourcing environmental protection projects or climate projects, ' Tokuda said. 'In Hawaii we understand that you cannot disentangle culture, history and people from a place, and we need to get this administration to understand that.' She emphasized that community-driven projects like Huliau o Waianae are critical for communities exposed to contamination and neglect. 'It's important to ensure that voices from communities like Waianae are heard and respected in environmental decision-making, especially given their history of being overexposed to landfills and other environmental hazards, ' she said. Advocates warn the freeze undermines federal environmental justice commitments. Without resolution, one of Hawaii's most environmentally burdened communities remains without support. Despite the challenges, Tokuda noted bipartisan recognition of climate change's impacts, from wildfires to floods. She said Congress has made calls, sent letters and demanded answers on staffing cuts and funding freezes, as those are factors that could threaten the EPA's ability to respond to environmental crises and disasters. 'While the language may differ, the reality is that climate change is impacting agriculture, natural resources and disaster response efforts nationwide, ' Tokuda said. She called for sustained investment in climate and environmental protection. 'We're literally talking about the water that people drink. We're talking about the air that people breathe, the most basic of things that we need to ensure are safe. This is the agency that will hold people accountable and responsible and be there to remediate the wrongs that happen, whether it be wildfires or whether it be Red Hill, whether it be to help communities that struggle with cesspool conversions or have struggled with landfills, ' she said. Tokuda encouraged local groups to seek alternative funding sources on top of reaching out to their congressional delegates. 'Organizations should look at diversifying their funding models, ' she said. 'It's important to reassess business plans and funding strategies so they can bridge the gap while we work to restore significant investments in environmental protection.' She called for collaboration and adaptability, with the hope that federal support will soon return.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Should Hegseth be fired over latest Signal scandal?
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth again finds himself embroiled in a scandal after reportedly including his wife, brother and attorney on a Signal chat involving sensitive information. U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, and U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, join 'CUOMO' to discuss the latest controversy and whether it should lead to Hegseth being dismissed from his post with the Trump administration. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
