Many people may wonder why Oahu's tattooers stood in unison against HB 2283 that would have eliminated our occupational screening process.  Why wouldn't we want to be rid of testing and licensing?  

Over 20 years ago Hawaii was one of the first state's in the nation to regulate their tattoo industry.   It was a ground breaking move with the health and safety of the artist and client in mind.  Many states in the mainland have modeled their regulations from Hawaii's program.  

As artists we are proud that we hold our Hawaii tattoo licenses...knowing that we live in a state that cares and has a program in place to screen those wanting to enter the business.   

HB 2283 was initially introduced to circumvent the requirements to allow temporary licensing based simply on paying a fee.  Not only was this an insult to the many people who have taken the proper channel and passed the required testing but it was an affront to the entire program as laid out 20+ years ago. 

It's my personal belief that any occupation that involves blood born pathogens should always have requirements for licensing. I've written columns here before about the dangers of improper body art and our licensing program is a major step to give the Sanitation Department teeth to bite with when it's called for!

As the bill traveled from the House to the Senate it morphed into COMPLETELY eliminating ALL testing completely.  This would have been a step backward in a time that health issues are leaping forward.  Most of us had no clue that this bill was even before the House or Senate and we had never been given opportunity to issue any testimony during it's process.

In early April the coconut wireless kicked in and over 40 tattooers met and knew that we needed to take action FAST.   We called, we faxed, and we emailed our facts and CDC statistics to our senators.  A press conference was called and we conveyed our concerns to the media.  Thankfully the bill stripping the state of one of the most respected licensing programs in the USA  was silenced.  Our respected Senators heard our message and acted in the best interest of health and safety.

Just a few of the gathered licensed tattooers

It's with great pride that I stood in the room with this group of dedicated practioners with a common goal.  All differences and competitativeness were put aside for the good of the entire industry here in Hawaii.  

If I may speak for that gathering of tattooers.....We thank our senators for listening to our concerns and putting this bill to rest.  Our thanks to our Sanitation Department for their many years of testing and inspections.  And my deepest thanks to my fellow tattooers for taking a stand and making a difference. 

Next Month:  Are you wearing a piece of history?  I am looking for anyone who was tattooed by Sailor Jerry here in Hawaii.  I would love to hear your stories and if possible photograph the work.