California wants to leave the United States and secede, creating a new country. This was reported by The New York Post (NYP).
After the relevant petition was registered, a petition to secede from the US began in California. It is called Calexit. The NYP noted that the proposed measure was a reference to the Brexit vote in the UK.
If this initiative is supported, it will appear on the ballot in 2028. At that time, voters will face the main question: should California secede from the United States and become a free and independent country?
It is specified that in order to put forward the initiative and prepare for the referendum, it is necessary to collect more than 50 percent of signatures from the total number of voters. NYP explained that even if the majority votes in favor of leaving the US, the authorities will first have to convene a special commission. Its members will have to analyze the consequences of such a decision. Only after that will the special commission publish an official report.
This is not the first time California has wanted to secede from the US
In November 2016, California residents called for a campaign to secede from the US. Similar statements appeared on social media after Donald Trump won the presidential election for the first time.
Shortly thereafter, supporters of California independence submitted a proposal for a referendum to the state attorney general. The initiative was launched by members of the Yes California movement. Activists asked for approval of the proposed measure called “Calexit: 2019 California Independence Plebiscite.”
At the time, the vice president and co-founder of the movement indicated that they wanted to raise the issue of California’s withdrawal from the United States later. However, Trump’s victory in the US presidential election forced the activists to speed up.
At that point, supporters hoped to hold a vote by March 13, 2019. However, the petition did not receive the required number of votes — 50 percent of the total number of voters.
Is it possible for California to secede from the United States?
Currently, as noted by Yes California, the region’s secession from the United States is impossible due to several points of reference enshrined in regional legislation. In particular, one of them refers to the territory as an “integral part” of the US, and the second establishes US laws as fundamental, including in California.
At the same time, Yes California believes that California, while remaining part of the US, is losing out both culturally and financially. The state could become completely autonomous, and the only question is whether the local population wants this.
California is located in the western United States and stretches along the Pacific Ocean from the Oregon border to the Mexican border for almost 1,400 kilometers. With an area of 423,970 square kilometers, it ranks in the top three after Alaska and Texas.
The state is considered the most populous in the United States, with a population of nearly 40 million. It also ranks first among all states in terms of GDP. First and foremost, it is home to Los Angeles, one of the major cities not only of California but of the United States as a whole. In addition, San Francisco and Santa Barbara are located there. Among the famous places are the huge entertainment complex Disneyland, Silicon Valley, and part of the territory is also considered to be Hollywood.
