Aug 9 (Reuters) - A federal judge has blocked the state of Hawaii from enforcing a recently enacted ban on firearms on its prized beaches and in other areas including banks, bars and parks, citing last year's landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling expanding gun rights. The measure was challenged by three Hawaii residents and the gun rights group Hawaii Firearms Coalition, who called the prohibitions unconstitutional. Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez's office argued the law was consistent with historical gun regulations and served a state interest in protecting public safety, including on crowded beaches where children and families congregate. But while Kobayashi acknowledged the important role beaches play in Hawaii's economy, "the state does not provide any evidence that this nation has a historical tradition of regulating or prohibiting the carrying of firearms on beaches." Alan Beck, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, hailed the judge's temporary restraining order, saying Kobayashi "faithfully applied Supreme Court precedent and came to the correct result."

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Persons: Leslie Kobayashi, Bruen, Josh Green, Anne Lopez's, Kobayashi, Barack Obama, Alan Beck, Lopez, Nate Raymond, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Supreme, U.S, New York, Democratic, Hawaii Firearms Coalition, Thomson Locations: Hawaii, Honolulu, Boston