California governor launches campaign for gun control amendment to US Constitution
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is taking matters into his own hands when it comes to gun control.
Newsom on Thursday launched a historic campaign proposing a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in an effort to “sidestep Washington’s gridlock and enshrine fundamental gun safety freedoms.”
Among other elements, the 28th Amendment would raise the minimum age for buying guns, mandate universal background checks and ban assault rifles.
“The gun lobby says we can’t stop the carnage America now experiences every day without violating the 2nd Amendment – that thoughts and prayers are the best we can do. … That’s a lie,” Newsom says in the release. “In this country, we do have the power to change things. That power is written into the Constitution, and today we’re using it to end America’s gun violence crisis.”
The 28th Amendment would ensure “NRA-owned politicians never pass laws that strip away fundamental freedoms to live life without fear of gun violence,” according to the campaign release.
The governor said his proposal does not call for abolishing the 2nd Amendment.
Some of the gun safety principles in Newsom’s 28th Amendment proposal include:
- Raising the federal minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21;
- Mandating universal background checks to prevent dangerous people from purchasing a gun that could be used in a crime;
- Instituting a reasonable waiting period for all gun purchases;
- Barring civilian purchase of assault rifles
California is first state in the nation to call for a gun control amendment to the U.S. Constitution, according to the release.
To have a new amendment considered, Newsom first must get two-thirds of states, or 34, to propose the same amendment. If he achieves that, it would trigger a constitutional convention, where three-fourths of states would need to vote yes for passage.