SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Thursday that would increase gun regulations nationwide.
Newsom said it would keep the 2nd Amendment in place. The proposal includes increasing the age to purchase a gun to 21 years old and universal background checks among others.
“Our ability to make a more perfect union is literally written into the Constitution,” Newsom said in a statement. “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.”
Amendments to the U.S. Constitution are rare with only 17 since the Bill of Rights.
There are two ways constitutional amendments can be proposed. Either with a two-thirds majority vote in both the Senate and House of Representatives or by two-thirds of state legislatures passing by a constitutional convention.
Three-fourths of states would then need to ratify the proposed amendment for it to become part of the Constitution.
An amendment has never been passed by a constitutional convention, according to the National Archives.
Here's what Newsom is proposing.
- Raising the federal minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21
- Mandating universal background checks
- Instituting a reasonable waiting period for all gun purchases
- Barring civilian purchase of assault weapons
The proposal affirms Congress, states, and local governments can enact additional gun regulations.
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