U.S.A. — Liberal Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution “to enshrine fundamental, broadly supported gun safety measures into law.”
Newsom’s office made the announcement Thursday morning, declaring in a prepared statement, “Our ability to make a more perfect union is literally written into the Constitution. So today, I’m proposing the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution to do just that. The 28th Amendment will enshrine in the Constitution common sense gun safety measures that Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and gun owners overwhelmingly support – while leaving the 2nd Amendment unchanged and respecting America’s gun-owning tradition.”
Newsom, an ardently anti-gun-rights Democrat who has lately been waging a war of words against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, possibly in an effort to weaken the Sunshine State Republican’s presidential campaign, insists his proposal will leave the Second Amendment unchanged.
But is that accurate? Here’s what his proposed amendment would include, according to his website:
- Raising the federal minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21;
- Mandating universal background checks to prevent truly dangerous people from purchasing a gun that could be used in a crime;
- Instituting a reasonable waiting period for all gun purchases; and
- Barring civilian purchase of assault weapons that serve no other purpose than to kill as many people as possible in a short amount of time – weapons of war our nation’s founders never foresaw.
According to Politico, which interviewed Newsom prior to making his announcement, the Golden State governor insisted, “This is a mechanism to address that despair. We’re sick of being on the defense and throwing up our hands. We want to go on the offense and be for something and build a movement that’s bottom up, not top down.”
Politico said Newsom’s announcement came from his Campaign for Democracy PAC.
Fox News’ coverage included a refresher course on American government:
“The Constitution can be amended by either Congress or a convention of states under Article V,” the network noted. “Congress may pass a proposed amendment with a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate, sending it to the states for ratification.”
However, Fox News threw in this caveat: “With Republicans in control of the House and a 51-49 Democratic majority in the Senate, there is virtually no chance a constitutional amendment restricting gun rights will have enough support to pass through Congress.”
The Hill is reporting Newsom’s proposal is in reaction to recent court rulings that have “rolled back” gun control laws, which it describes as “gun safety measures.” Newsom made that clear in an interview with NBC’s “Today” show.
EXCLUSIVE: California Governor Gavin Newsom shares a historic announcement that could affect the entire country when it comes to gun control: proposing a new 28th amendment to the U.S. constitution. @jacobsoboroff shares their conversation. pic.twitter.com/oIltNhHl7f
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 8, 2023
Last year, The Hill recalled, “The Supreme Court significantly expanded gun rights last year with its ruling that struck down a New York gun law that made obtaining a permit to carry a handgun outside the home more difficult. The majority found that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to self-defense outside the home.”
According to Newsom’s announcement, “Passage of the 28th Amendment will require a convention to propose amendments to the United States Constitution, also known as an Article V Convention or amendatory convention. Working in partnership with members of the California State Senate and Assembly, California will be the first state in the nation to call for such a convention with a joint resolution being introduced by California State Senator Aisha Wahab and Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer.” Both are quoted in the news release.
“A man of action, Governor Gavin Newsom has the backbone to actually do something about the gun fetish culture around weapons of war, and tackle the relentless problem of gun violence and mass shootings,” said Sen. Wahab. “As someone impacted by gun violence, I have an obligation to elevate the voices of victims and those of us left behind in the wake of tragedy.”
“I am proud to introduce this resolution to protect the common sense gun reform legislation our Assembly Public Safety Committee has championed over the years,” said Assemblymember Jones-Sawyer. “We cannot stand idly while courts roll back our work and diminish the ability of our Legislature to keep Californians safe. This bold but fair resolution calls on other states to join us in protecting some of the most effective ways of reducing gun violence.”
Nowhere in Newsom’s announcement or in coverage of his proposed constitutional amendment is there a single reference to holding criminals accountable for violent crime.
About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
