Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and Gov. Gavin Newsom are duking it out on Twitter over Newsom’s purposed 28th Constitutional Amendment to combat gun violence.
Early Thursday morning, Newsom tweeted his proposal for raising the minimum age for gun buyers to 21, requiring universal background checks and a “reasonable waiting period” for gun purchases, and banning civilians from buying assault weapons.
McCarthy tore into Newsom’s idea in a tweet, saying the 2nd Amendment is sufficient and claiming that Newsom is campaigning for the White House by pushing “extreme” ideas.
Not one to ignore social media attacks from Republicans, the Democrat governor tweeted that McCarthy has done “nothing to address” the murder rate in his district and hometown of Bakersfield, California.
You’ll notice that both like to use “Hey” as a sarcastic conversation starter.
Related Story: Newsom Wants 28th Amendment in US Constitution to Combat Gun Violence
For the record, Bakersfield is the largest city in Kern County, which had the highest homicide rate in California from 2016 through 2021. In 2021, the county had 136 homicides, or 13.7 homicides per 100,000 residents, according to the state Department of Justice. In 2022, the county’s homicides fell to 97, KGET17 reported.
What Are the Amendment Hurdles?
Meanwhile, Newsom’s quest for a Constitutional amendment is a longshot but not impossible. The next step would be for 33 additional states to propose the same amendment, triggering what is known as an Article V Convention.
For the 28th Amendment to become part of the Constitution, three-fourths, or 75%, of the states would have to approve it during the convention.
As of the most recent elections, Republicans hold 26 state governorships and control 28 state legislatures. It would require all Democratic-controlled states and at least 14 states led by Republicans to back the proposal for it to become an amendment.
Related Story: Guns and Alcohol Are a Deadly Combo. What Can Be Done About It?
Fox News Poll Results Show Support for Newsom’s Ideas
However, as challenging as it is to pass an amendment, Newsom’s gun-control proposals are popular with voters, according to an April Fox News poll. The poll indicated that most Americans favor:
— Requiring criminal background checks on all gun buyers (87%).
— Raising the legal age to buy a gun to 21 (81%).
— Requiring mental health checks on gun buyers (80%).
— Allowing police to take guns from those considered a danger to themselves or others (80%).
— Requiring a 30-day waiting period for all gun purchases (77%).
— Banning assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons (61%).
However, only 36% of Republicans support an assault rifle ban.
