Gov. Newsom Proposes Constitutional Amendment to Restrict National Gun Rights

California Governor Gavin Newsom, who pretends he isn’t running for President, proposed Thursday a Constitutional Amendment to restrict gun national rights.

He proposed four new gun control measures:

• 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.

Newsom’s announcement said:

Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution to enshrine fundamental, broadly supported gun safety measures into law. While leaving the 2nd Amendment unchanged and respecting America’s gun-owning tradition, the Governor’s proposal 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.

“Our ability to make a more perfect union is literally written into the Constitution,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “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.”

If you believe this will “leave the 2nd Amendment unchanged and respecting America’s gun-owning tradition,” then I have some swampland in Florida to sell you.

Pushback was immediate:

“Newsom shows an astounding lack of leadership by once again attacking the law abiding Gun owner rather than tackle the hard stuff such as crime control, the fentanyl crisis, homelessness and the multi year state budget deficits,” Rick Travis, Director of Government Affairs for the California Rifle & Pistol Association told the Globe.

“Newsom’s proposal comes after federal courts have delivered a series of victories for gun rights activists, led by the Supreme Court’s landmark decision last year striking down a century-old New York law that made it difficult to obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun,” Fox News reported.

The National Rifle Association also punched back:

“Newsom’s latest publicly stunt once again shows that his unhinged contempt for the right to self-defense has no bounds,” the NRA said in a statement to Fox News. “California is a beacon for violence because of Newsom’s embrace of policies that champion the criminal and penalize the law-abiding. That is why the majority of Americans rightfully reject his California-style gun control.”

Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (Yuba City) weighed in on Gov. Newsom’s plan to adopt a new constitutional amendment on gun control:*

“Newsom’s proposal is a poorly thought out, attention-seeking stunt from a governor desperate to distract from his ever-growing record of failure. If Newsom is this disinterested in leading California, he should let the Lieutenant Governor take over so he’ll be free to chase the national spotlight full-time.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed laws to reduce sentence enhancements for the purpose of reducing prison sentences because of “extreme racial disparities.” He is emptying out California’s prisons. His budget even calls for emptying out four more prisons rather than funding them.

In January, Gov. Newsom said the Second Amendment is a “suicide pact,” in a bizarre interview with Norah O’Donnell of CBS Evening News following the tragic Monterey Park mass shooting.

Almost immediately following the tragic Monterey Park mass shooting Sunday, Gov. Newsom and California Democrats blamed “gun violence,” and immediately pivoted to the need for more gun control measures.

O’Donnell noted, “California has the strictest gun laws in the U.S.”

“I mean, the Second Amendment has become a suicide pact… it feels like,” Newsom said. “And that’s the only question the community wants… I mean, what about our kids when they’re going to school? What more can we do?”

Newsom talked about the “half-dozen” gun control bills he signed into law last year. And he said “we will continue with the bills we can… will continue to lead the gun safety conversation…”

Perhaps the crux of Newsom’s proposed amendment would also affirm that Congress, states and local governments can enact additional gun control measures, Fox reported.

To amend the U.S. Constitution would require an Article V. Convention, which requires 34 states to convene a convention.

As Fox News noted, “With Republicans in control of the House and a 51-49 Democratic majority in the Senate, there is virtually no chance that a constitutional amendment restricting gun rights will have enough support to pass through Congress.”

Political stunt? Most definitely – specially now that Gov. Newsom has egg on his face after accusing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis of kidnapping illegal immigrants and sending them on a private plane to Sanctuary State California. The video of the immigrants dancing and celebrating their good fortune on the plane and a party bus doesn’t look like a kidnapping.

*This article was updated to include Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher’s (Yuba City) statement.