California takes up gun control amendment to Constitution
California introduces gun control amendment
The California state legislautre has taken up an amendment to the US Constitution proposed by Gov. Newsom that would raise the purchasing age for guns, requires universal background checks, impose a mandatory waiting period and ban civilian purchases of assault weapons.
The California legislature has taken up an amendment to the US Constitution proposed by Gov. Newsom that would impose four major changes to restrict access to guns.
The proposed 28th Amendment to the Constitution would raise the minimum age to buy a gun to 21 years old, require universal background checks on firearm sales, mandate a waiting period to get a gun, and ban civilian sales of assault weapons.
Newsom introduced the amendment in June, calling it a "right to safety" amendment.
"The gun lobby says we can’t stop the carnage America now experiences every day without violating the 2nd Amendment – that thoughts and prayers are the best we can do ... that’s a lie," Newsom said in a statement in June. "In this country, we do have the power to change things. That power is written into the Constitution, and today we’re using it to end America’s gun violence crisis."
If California lawmakers pass the resolution, it would need to be approved by 33 other states. That would trigger a constitutional convention to formally discuss the amendment.
No amendment has ever been adopted through this method.
The last time the Constitution was amended was in 1992.