Update on Oct. 25: A resolution to support Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposed gun-control amendment to the U.S. Constitution was defeated by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors Tuesday, with members evenly divided 2-2. Board Chairwoman Nora Vargas and Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer, who authored the resolution in support of Newsom's "Right to Safety" amendment proposal, voted yes. Their colleagues Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond voted no.
Original: Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed the "Right to Safety Amendment" which would amend the federal Constitution to adopt what he calls commonsense gun safety measures.
On Tuesday, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will vote if they want to back his idea. Their vote will have no impact on the amendment's outcome.
Gov. Newsom's "Right to Safety Amendment" would:
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- mandate universal background checks
- raise the minimum age to buy any firearm from 18 to 21
- ban assault weapons
- create a reasonable waiting period for a gun purchase to prevent someone purchasing the weapon in a fit of rage from hurting themselves or someone else.
San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer says she believes that safety is also a right that needs to be defended.
"The way that this amendment is worded the 'Right to Safety Amendment' very clearly and strongly protects and preserves the second amendment. It just adds on to the Constitution a right to safety for our communities because that is also a right that we all have and that we have to fight for," Lawson-Remer said.
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Michael Schwartz, President of the San Diego County Gun Owner's Association, says he is vehemently opposed to this proposal and thinks it's political theater that will go nowhere.
"I think that with few exceptions everything that Governor Newsom does is just political theater and it's really just about his own ambition, but he has the right to try, so I welcome him, but I think he's going to fall flat on his face," Schwartz said. "I also don’t see how making sane, trained, law-abiding people into criminals for doing normal things and trying to protect themselves will make anybody safer."
There are a few different ways you can amend the U.S. Constitution: Congress can propose an amendment or the states can propose an amendment and call a Constitutional convention to call on Congress to vote on the proposed amendment.
However, two-thirds of the states or 34 states would have to support the amendment for the convention to be triggered. While the Constitution has been amended several times, it has never been amended through a Constitutional convention.
The California State Legislature has already voted to support this resolution, so whether or not the County Board votes to support or reject this will have no impact on the outcome.
Back in July, the County Board of Supervisors was deadlocked on another proposal by Supervisor Lawson-Remer about guns. That resolution would have made it easier to hold ghost gun manufacturers accountable and increase education about safe storage practices in schools. The final vote on that resolution was 2-2, split along party lines with Supervisors Jim Desmond and Joel Anderson, the two Republican Supervisors voting against it.
