DATE: September 5, 2023
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steve Brandau, Supervisor District 2
Nathan Magsig, Supervisor District 5
SUBJECT: SJR-7 "Right to Safety Amendment" Opposition Letter
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Authorize the Board of Supervisors to send a Letter of Opposition to SJR-7 Federal constitutional convention: firearms, also known as the "Right to Safety Amendment".
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action would authorize a letter (Exhibit A) to be sent to Governor Gavin Newsom, President pro Tempore Toni Atkins, and Speaker Robert Rivas opposing SJR-7 Federal constitutional convention: firearms, also known as the "Right to Safety Amendment". This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
The Board may decline to comment on the SJR-7, choose to not send the subject letter, or may direct staff to draft a letter with a different position.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action.
DISCUSSION:
On June 8, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom, announced his intent to pursue a 28th amendment to the United States Constitution to enact nationwide firearm regulations. Towards that end, he called for an Article V constitutional convention to amend the Constitution to include the following firearm regulations:
* Raising the federal minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21.
* Mandating universal background checks.
* Instituting new waiting periods for all gun purchases.
* Barring civilian purchase of "assault weapons".
On August 14, 2023, State Senator Aisha Wahab and Assemblymember Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer introduced SJR-7 as a joint resolution of the California Legislature to further Governor Newsom's call for a convention. If passed by both chambers, it would formally call on Congress to convene a constitutional convention among states to add a new amendment on these topics. To be called, 33 other states would have to pass a similar resolution.
The Governor's amendment seeks to deprive mill...
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