California becomes first state in the nation to call for gun safety amendment to U.S. Constitution

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Last Thursday, a joint resolution calling for a nationwide Constitutional Convention to add a gun safety amendment to the U.S. Constitution passed the California Legislature.

Senate Joint Resolution 7 (SJR7), also known as the Right to Safety Amendment, was authored by State Senator Aisha Wahab and Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer and makes California the first state in the nation to call for gun safety measure to be added to the U.S. Constitution.

“The Right to Safety Amendment would preserve the integrity of the Second Amendment, while enshrining in our Constitution commonsense safety provisions that are supported overwhelmingly by the American people," said Governor Gavin Newsom. "This action is even more urgent as radical judges use a warped interpretation of our Constitution to roll back gun safety laws in California, and across the country. In the face of decades of Congressional inaction and unelected judges that are putting Americans in danger, it is time for citizens to stand up for common sense to protect us against the uniquely American epidemic of gun violence.”

Governor Newsom proposed a 28th Amendment to U.S. Constitution in June of this year.

“The passage of SJR 7, the Right to Safety Resolution, brings us a step closer to having a real national debate and course of action to address gun violence in our country,” said Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer. “Maintaining the integrity of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, while codifying a new constitutional amendment that protects citizens from modern day weapons of war, should be a national priority. This action by the California Legislature puts the voices and concerns of Americans ahead of activist Republican judges who cater to special interest groups.”

With the passage of the joint resolution, 33 other states would need to join California in calling for a constitutional or amendatory convention as detailed in Article V of the U.S. Constitution.

The proposed amendment seeks to federally enshrine four gun safety provisions:

• Raising the federal minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21
• Mandating universal background checks when purchasing a gun
• Instituting a waiting period for all gun purchases
• Ban the purchase of assault weapons for civilians

“I’m proud to carry the Right to Safety Resolution. I worked hard with my colleagues to get more than 50% of the legislature, in both houses, to co-author this resolution,” said Senator Wahab. “It's important to uplift the voices of victims we lost, and victims that live with the aftermath of gun violence. We need to take action, and with SJR7 we are taking action to save lives.”