Alito rules ‘spirit of aloha’ does not override Second Amendment in Hawaii gun case

Published June 25, 2026 6:22pm ET



Justice Samuel Alito took aim at arguments from Hawaii‘s reliance on the “spirit of aloha” as rationale for expansive and restrictive gun laws, in a ruling Thursday striking down a sweeping firearm law in the Aloha State.

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3, on ideological lines, to strike down a sweeping Hawaii gun law that required gun owners to get permission to carry their firearms on any private property in the state. Alito penned the majority opinion, which rejected Hawaii officials’ arguments that a state’s individual history should dictate the extent to which gun rights are protected under the Second Amendment.

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