Newsom Proposes US Constitutional Amendment to Ban Assault Weapons

Gov. Gavin Newsom is taking his fight for gun control national, today proposing a U.S. constitutional amendment that would ban assault weapons, raise the age to purchase a gun to 21, institute universal background checks and create a firearm purchase waiting period.

The long-shot proposal would require California and 33 other state legislatures to call a constitutional convention, known as an Article V convention, which would require three-quarters of states, or 38, to approve what would be the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

In addition to its four main tenets, the proposed amendment “will affirm Congress, states, and local governments can enact additional common-sense gun safety regulations that save lives,” according to the announcement from the governor.

“Our ability to make a more perfect union is literally written into the Constitution,” Newsom said in a written statement announcing the proposal. “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 didn’t immediately release the text of the proposed amendment, but said that state Sen. Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward) and Los Angeles Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) would author California’s joint resolution.

Gun-rights advocates responded angrily. In a tweet, the NRA called it the governor’s “latest publicity stunt,” which “once again shows that his unhinged contempt for the right to self-defense has no bounds.” The group went on to attack California as a “beacon for violence.”

Realistically, California ranks among the lowest states for death by firearm, well below more pro-gun states like Texas. Meanwhile, a recent AP analysis found that the nation has witnessed an average of about one mass killing a week this year. If that rate continues, the U.S. would hit a new grim record.

Still, it’s unclear whether the governor believes his proposal could actually lead to a constitutional convention, let alone an amendment. While Newsom is correct that the policies in his proposal are widely popular among the general public, just 20 state legislatures are currently controlled by Democrats.

Newsom, who has a history of making bold policy pronouncements and wading into national politics, said he will fund the effort through his super PAC, Campaign for Democracy, which he funded with $10 million left over from his governor campaign account.