Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

Anti-Gun Governor Grabs Headlines with Phony, Insincere Proposal to Amend Away Your Rights

Monday, June 12, 2023

Anti-Gun Governor Grabs Headlines with Phony, Insincere Proposal to Amend Away Your Rights

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is presiding over a state in decline, with violent crime rising in the state and once renowned cities like San Francisco now cautionary tales of urban squalor. Residents and businesses are fleeing locales that have all but abandoned the idea of law enforcement, if not fleeing the state altogether.

But nothing succeeds in Newsom’s brand of politics like failure, and with his sights set firmly on national office, the Golden State governor is now receiving fawning attention in the mainstream press for an unserious proposal to rewrite the Second Amendment. The “plan” would be to change the current wording that protects what the U.S. Supreme Court has characterized as a preexisting, fundamental right rooted in concepts of self- and corporate defense into an affirmative grant of authority to the U.S. government to restrict and impede gun ownership. The fact Newsom is taking this tact to garner national attention for himself, however, may say more than he or his supporters realize about how overreaching California-style gun control already is.

It’s ironic that the U.S. Constitution and its constraints are suddenly of interest to Newsom, especially when it comes to gun control. There is precious little bad thinking in gun control that isn’t already binding law in California. This includes versions of every item on Newsom’s list of proposed changes, i.e., banning adults under age 21 from purchasing firearms; banning private sales and transfers of firearms; a waiting period for gun purchases; and banning “civilian” purchase of so-called “assault weapons.” Newsom pitches these “ideas” by emphasizing (and grossly exaggerating) their supposedly broad bi-partisan support. But they remain the minority approach among U.S. states, and none of them (except limitations on handgun purchases by young adults) are federal law.

Just how far Newsom would go with these proposals is unknown; there appears to be no text of his amendments for public review. That alone strongly indicates that publicity, not policy-making, is the real impetus of his effort. But even from a policy-making standpoint, Newsom’s proposal is incoherent.

First, as shown by the most exhaustive analysis of gun control’s effectiveness to date – conducted by the non-partisan RAND Corporation – none of these policies has “supportive” evidence for decreasing violent crime or reducing firearm-related mortality.

Second, if the policies are as popular as he claims, the political process itself should be enough to see them enshrined into law. Indeed, that has been the case in California and in other states where anti-gun sentiment prevails in the legislature. It’s also a fact that each item on this list is perennial fodder for anti-gun bills introduced in the U.S. Congress. Clearly, gun control supporters at all levels of government are already convinced that nothing in the U.S. Constitution stands in the way of these laws. No serious or well-informed person, in any case, believes an anti-gun politician would forgo a politically feasible gun control win over quibbles about its constitutionality. Yet if Congress won’t even pass bills to enact these laws, who could believe both houses would vote by a two-thirds margin to take the far more difficult, consequential, enduring, and politically perilous step of supporting a constitutional amendment to implement them? It is unpopularity, not reverence for the Constitution, that dooms the items on Newsom’s list.

Third, even Newsom’s fellow travelers in the media who are happy to give him national exposure and favorable coverage for his silly plan admit it is all but hopeless. The antigun Los Angeles Times characterized it as “a longshot proposal with little chance of passing in a nation deeply divided on the issue.” As that outlet correctly notes, many states are not only rejecting proposals like the ones on Newsom’s list, they are affirmatively removing restrictions to favor the right to keep and bear arms.  Meanwhile, the generally pro-gun Republican Party wields control of 22 states, with the generally anti-gun Democrat Party dominant in 17 states. For the amendment to arise from the states themselves, two-thirds would have to support a call for a constitutional convention for that purpose. And assuming Newsom’s proposal survived that convention intact, three-quarters of the states would have to ratify it. That sort of state-generated constitutional action has NEVER occurred on ANY issue during the entire history of the U.S. It certainly won’t occur on one of the most divisive issues in modern politics.

Finally, if Newsom really believes that the U.S. Constitution must be amended to accommodate the four items on his list, then he is necessarily admitting that existing laws to this effect are constitutionally void or at least highly problematic. If that’s true, then the oath he took as governor to support and defend the Constitution of the United States should compel him to seek repeal of California’s own versions of those laws or at least to withhold defense of them against court challenges. It would also establish an extraordinary concurrence with the NRA’s own view of those laws.

If, on the other hand, he believes those laws are valid, then he is being nakedly political and insincere with his calls for a constitutional amendment to enable them. That would establish the NRA’s own view that Newsom’s “28th Amendment” effort is merely an expensive and time-wasting “publicity stunt.”  

It’s also important to understand that what Newsom is really proposing is a fundamental constitutional revolution that would turn a constitutional protection against government overreach into a tool for the government to crack down on the people. That explains more about how Gavin Newsom approaches governance than anything his critics could say.

TRENDING NOW
Baltimore Gets Serious on Crime Control, and the Results Speak for Themselves

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

Baltimore Gets Serious on Crime Control, and the Results Speak for Themselves

As the mid-year mark of 2025 hits, a promising report on crime trends has come out of the City of Baltimore. Surprising news at first glance until you dig deeper into the policy direction the ...

U.K. Moves to Legally De-suppress Suppressors

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

U.K. Moves to Legally De-suppress Suppressors

On July 4th, President Donald Trump signed into law his “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which included a provision that eliminated the tax stamp fee of $200, but did not deregulate suppressors under the National Firearms ...

President Trump Supports Hunting and Resource Protection with Executive Actions

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

President Trump Supports Hunting and Resource Protection with Executive Actions

Just as the United States was preparing to celebrate 249 beautiful years, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on July 3rd establishing the “Make America Beautiful Again" Commission supporting hunters, outdoorsmen, and outdoor recreationists by prioritizing the ...

Legacy Media Finally Acknowledges Politization of Public Health

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

Legacy Media Finally Acknowledges Politization of Public Health

It appears the editors of The Atlantic are finally willing to entertain an idea that has long been obvious to gun rights supporters.

House Annual Appropriations Process Update

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

House Annual Appropriations Process Update

As the House Appropriations Committee is putting together legislation to fund the government, NRA-ILA has worked closely with policy makers to ensure several long-standing priorities for gun owners were included in the underlying bills.

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

News  

Second Amendment  

Thursday, May 22, 2025

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

Earlier today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.1 the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included Section 2 of the Hearing Protection Act, completely removing suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA).

DOJ Declines to Seek Supreme Court Review of Decision Striking Down Federal Laws Prohibiting FFLs From Selling Handguns to 18-to-20-Year-Olds

Thursday, July 10, 2025

DOJ Declines to Seek Supreme Court Review of Decision Striking Down Federal Laws Prohibiting FFLs From Selling Handguns to 18-to-20-Year-Olds

In Reese v. ATF, the Fifth Circuit held that 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(b)(1) and (c)(1)—which together forbid Federal Firearms Licensees from selling handguns to 18-to-20-year-olds—violate the Second Amendment.

Florida: Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Signed by Governor

Monday, July 7, 2025

Florida: Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Signed by Governor

Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed the Florida Budget for Fiscal Year 2025–2026, which includes a Second Amendment sales tax holiday from September 8 through December 31, 2025. The NRA is thankful for Governor DeSantis’ strong ...

NRA-ILA July 2025 Litigation Update

Thursday, July 10, 2025

NRA-ILA July 2025 Litigation Update

In the second quarter of 2025, the National Rifle Association filed two cert petitions in the U.S. Supreme Court and five amicus briefs, while continuing to litigate dozens of ongoing lawsuits across the country.

Maine: Lawmakers Call for Anti-2A Progressive Professor to Be Fired

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Maine: Lawmakers Call for Anti-2A Progressive Professor to Be Fired

In case you missed the media firestorm last week, a progressive professor at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor, Maine, has come under fire for her emails belittling a student for her religious beliefs and views ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.