94% of all prior cases against importers and sellers of illegal fireworks were just “dropped”, citing that this $200M industries simply pays off the cops, who then claim “lack of evidence”.
The chair of the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee said he will focus on funding sting operations — where agents go undercover to thwart smuggling rings — next legislative session.
“I think the stings could have a huge chilling effect on both the market for selling and the market for buying. And most normal people are not going to risk trying to buy illegal fireworks if they think that it’s possible the other person might be a police officer,” Rep. Scot Matayoshi said. “It just depends on what kind of resources they have to bear and what kind of resources the legislature is willing to give them.”
And here is another Marxist asshole politician, doing nothing for decades and now ready to “seize people’s houses”. shameful.
https://www.khon2.com/top-stories/cultural-tradition-or-deadly-risk-hawaii-grapples-with-illegal-fireworks-after-tragic-blast/
Wakai expects numerous bills to be introduced in the upcoming legislative session to address the illegal fireworks issue, but said pursuing civil penalties versus criminal might be more effective.
“So maybe that’ll be the consequence. You do that out of your house, we’re going to seize your house,” said Wakai. “I think if there’s consequences for bad behavior, you’re going to see a diminishing of interest in fireworks.”
And there appears to be agreement that laws without enforcement are meaningless and need to change.