California Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing an unlikely solution to gun violence: an amendment to the U.S. constitution to restrict gun ownership.
Newsom’s proposed 28th amendment would mandate universal background checks, a waiting period for all gun purchases, and raise the minimum age to buy a firearm to 21. It would also ban the purchase of assault rifles.
Speaking on the TODAY Show, Newsom argued that conservative judges and politicians are blocking the will of the American people, who mostly support more gun control.
“It’s pretty self-evident that a lot of the laws we passed are being rolled back by federal courts,” he said. “This is an existential crisis that we’re experiencing.”
Newsom said he’s working with the state legislature to call for a constitutional convention to discuss the amendment. He faces an uphill battle: two-thirds of states would have to agree to call the convention, and three-quarters of states would ultimately have to approve the amendment.
Only 19 state legislatures are currently controlled by Democrats, making the plan nearly impossible, regardless of public sentiment in favor of gun control.
Newsom plans to fund the effort with leftover money from his 2022 reelection campaign, which he funneled into his new “Campaign for Democracy” PAC earlier this year.
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