This week, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to implement sweeping gun control measures that would impact all Americans. This would include restrictions on modern sporting rifles, such as AR-15s, AK-47s and M-16s, dubbed by pro-gun control liberals as "assault weapons."
On Thursday, Newsom’s office said in a press release that his proposed amendment “guarantees common sense constitutional protections and gun safety measures that Democrats, Republicans, independent voters, and gun owners overwhelmingly support – including universal background checks, raising the firearm purchase age to 21, instituting a firearm purchase waiting period, and barring the civilian purchase of "assault weapons.” He claimed that his amendment would leave the Second Amendment "intact."
Additionally, Newsom, a longtime gun control supporter, took aim at several Republican lawmakers, like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, for their calls for “thoughts and prayers” in response to mass shootings and claimed that they are "owned" by the National Rifle Association.
“The 28th Amendment permanently enshrines four additions to the laws of our land,” Newsom explained. “And it ensures NRA-owned politicians can never strip those protections away.”
NEW: I’m proposing the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution to help end our nation’s gun violence crisis.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 8, 2023
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
In an interview on NBC’s “The Today Show,” Newsom said that the proposed amendment comes in response to gun control measures that have been rolled back by courts.
“This is an existential crisis we’re experiencing every single day,” Newsom said in the interview. “These federal judges want to turn America into Texas," he said, explaining that Texas has more deaths due to guns than his state.
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
Townhall has covered how several blue states, including Colorado, Michigan, and Illinois, have introduced legislation meant to curb Americans' Second Amendment rights. On the other hand, several Republican-led states, like Florida and Nebraska, have passed legislation protecting these rights. And last year, the Supreme Court struck down an unconstitutional gun control law in New York that would have required permit applicants to show “proper cause” to carry a firearm.
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the majority opinion in the case, pointing out that the right to bear arms should not be subject to a different set of rules apart from the other rights detailed in the Bill of Rights. This decision paved the way for several other federal court decisions across the country aimed at protecting the Second Amendment, including in Massachusetts, West Virginia and Tennessee.