by Madeleine Hubbard
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday said he is proposing the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which will restrict gun rights.
The proposed amendment would raise the minimum age to purchase firearms to 21, implement universal background checks, create what Newsom called a “reasonable waiting period for gun purchases” and ban civilians from buying so-called “assault weapons,” according to the governor’s announcement on Twitter.
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
The state of California already has most of these laws in place, with the exception being the age restrictions. Licensed hunters and members of the Armed Forces or law enforcement who are over the age of 18 are allowed to purchase or possess certain firearms, according to The Giffords Institute.
“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 said when he announced the amendment Thursday.
Newsom’s proposal is unlikely to pass.
A constitutional amendment must be proposed by two-thirds of the U.S. House and Senate or two-thirds of States through a convention. It must then be ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures. None of the 27 constitutional amendments were proposed by conventions, per the National Archives.
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Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.
Photo “Gavin Newsom” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 3.0.
