California Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing for the adoption of a 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution restricting firearm ownership.
Newsom’s motivation to seek further limits on firearms is to address “the echo chamber of despair out there today” regarding the rollback of gun control measures as ruled by the U.S. Supreme Court of the United States last year, the outlet reported.
The California governor’s proposed amendment would raise federal minimum age to purchase firearms from 18 to 21, along with mandating universal background checks, and instituting “reasonable” waiting periods for all firearm purchases.
The amendment will also seek a ban of “assault rifles” nationally.
“This is a mechanism to address that despair,” Newsom said in an interview with POLITICO ahead of his announcement, which came from his Campaign for Democracy PAC. “We’re sick of being on the defense and throwing up our hands.”
Gavin Newsom wants 28th Amendment for guns in U.S. Constitution https://t.co/umas7V0Qwr
— POLITICO (@politico) June 8, 2023
“We want to go on the offense and be for something and build a movement that’s bottom up, not top down.”
Newsom will reportedly use funds leftover from his 2022 reelection campaign to pursue the amendment.
NEW: I’m proposing the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution to help end our nation’s gun violence crisis.
The American people are sick of Congress’ inaction.
The 28th will enshrine 4 widely supported gun safety freedoms — while leaving the 2nd Amendment intact:
1)… pic.twitter.com/ZJ7fyfH0Cf
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 8, 2023
“They’re literally throwing out all of the progress many of us have made in these blue states,” Newsom said of court rulings rolling back restrictions on firearms.
“This initiative will literally be a catalyst for other states to follow,” said California state Senator Aisha Wahab. “When we’re talking about gun violence across this nation, people regardless of whether or not they’re a Republican or Democrat or independent, they are being gunned down. Their children are being gunned down. We’ve had enough.”
“If we reach the threshold of these mass shootings, and we have another few dozen of these in the next year or two, I think people are at a breaking point in this country, and you may see this accelerate in a pretty profound and pronounced way,” the California governor continued of the amendment. “I don’t know what the hell else to do. I don’t know what else is the answer.”
“I don’t want to be maudlin or predictably patronizing and almost too political. But I got four damn kids, dude, I can’t take it anymore,” Newsom added. “I mean, when they go to the mall now, when they go to a movie theater, when they go to a birthday party — let alone going to school. And I have to have conversations with them about this. This is insane. It’s absolute insanity. And the biggest and most insane thing we can do is the same old BS and just point fingers. So, let’s give this a shot.”
