California Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing a 28th amendment to the U.S. Constitution to restrict gun ownership, in response to the wave of mass shootings in the country.
Driving the news: Newsom’s plan calls for raising the minimum age to buy a firearm to 21, instituting universal background checks, implementing a waiting period for all gun purchases, and banning assault rifles nationally. Newsom acknowledged the challenges of creating a constitutional amendment, but believes his proposal will draw attention to the issue and build a grassroots movement for change.
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- Governor Newsom is seeking a constitutional amendment to address the country’s failure to adopt gun control measures, despite broad public support for such policies.
- Newsom’s proposal includes raising the minimum age to buy a firearm, instituting universal background checks, implementing a waiting period for gun purchases, and banning assault rifles nationally.
- Newsom acknowledges the difficulty of creating a constitutional amendment, but believes his plan will draw attention to the issue and build a bottom-up movement for change.
- The proposal is fueled by frustration over the conservative Supreme Court’s rollback of gun laws and the unending series of mass killings in the country.
- Newsom’s plan is designed to be a bold and attention-grabbing response to the issue of gun violence, and to position California as the most aggressive state in the country on gun control.
