New York – California has announced a proposal, called “Calexit” that would establish it as a separate nation from the U.S., officials have said.

The proposal for California to secede from the U.S. was submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office on Thursday, according to a report.

The proposed “Calexit” initiative was a name borrowed from the UK’s “Brexit” departure from the EU.

“Calexit” would ask voters to repeal part of the state constitution that declares California an inseparable part of the U.S.

A recent poll found that one in three California residents would support a possible secession from the U.S. due to their opposition to President Donald Trump, according to the proposal.

No mention has been made of the president in the proposal.

If the proposal qualifies for the ballot and is approved by voters, it could be a step to a future vote on whether the state would break away from the rest of the nation.

Secretary of State Alex Padilla said the group behind the proposal, ‘Yes California Independence Campaign’, was cleared to begin attempting to collect nearly 600,000 voter signatures needed to place the plan on the ballot.

“In our view, the United States of America represents so many things that conflict with Californian values.

“And our continued statehood means California will continue subsidising the other states to our own detriment, and to the detriment of our children,” the Yes California Independence Campaign’s website says. </s> California Calexit organizers have successfully convinced the California government to allow them to gather the signatures necessary to present a secession ballot in the 2018 election that would call for a 2019 vote to secede from the United States, creating a California nation. According to the Associated Press, this already existing secessionist movement began gathering steam the moment Donald Trump was elected to the White House.

Almost one-third of all Californians currently support the idea of a California Calexit in which they would secede from the United States. As with the Brexit vote in the U.K., it’s quite possible that active campaigning by the initiative’s organizers could increase this percentage significantly.

As reported by USA Today, part of the purpose of the Calexit ballot initiative is to change the wording of certain clauses in the California Constitution that declare it to be an “inseparable part of the United States” and stating that the United States Constitution is the “supreme law of the land.” This would make possible a vote on California seceding from the United States.

But even assuming that the ballot initiative is successful and that a resulting secession vote for a California Calexit is “Yes,” there would still be obstacles to actually achieving a separate California nation. One of the principal problems is that the rest of the country has a say in whether California can actually do this or not.

For California to secede from the United States in a Calexit, a California Nationhood Amendment to the Constitution would have to be passed by the United States Congress and ratified by 38 states. This might seem like a fairly high hurdle – and it is. But people thought Brexit was unlikely to happen as well.

But as one of the organizers of the Calexit ballot initiative has pointed out, many of the people living in states that elected Donald Trump don’t like California or Californians, often wishing the state would fall into the sea. So a California Calexit amendment to the Constitution might just be something they can get on board with.

Of course, once California – which contributes almost $300 billion to the federal budget in taxes and receives much less in return – is gone, many of those people in red states might wonder what happened to all of their federal funding. Most Trump supporters seem to believe that they prop up California, instead of the other way round.

There would be – in the event of a successful California Calexit initiative – endless details that would have to be worked out between the United States government and the newly minted nation of California. For instance, what would happen to the Social Security fund? Would California get back those sums that it contributed to the fund, or some percentage based on its population? Or would they still use the existing Social Security program?

An agreement might be worked out where California citizens would still have access to the United States Social Security fund, in the same way that expatriates can live in Mexico and still get their check. But Medicare and Medicaid would also have to be transferred to California.

In the aftermath of a successful California Calexit, there would be the issue of a California military – assuming California wanted one at all. Given that California would be bordered by the ocean and otherwise surrounded by a country that presumably would not invade it, military expenditures might be unnecessary.

Yes, a California Calexit vote in the affirmative is highly unlikely. This is especially the case because the secession of California to form its own separate nation would also require the passage of the aforementioned constitutional amendment that might never make it out of committee, let alone see ratification by 38 states. Still, the odds have increased significantly since the election of Donald Trump – and are only likely to rise as Donald Trump’s antics continue in the coming months. </s> Backers of an effort for California independence gathered outside the Capitol before turning in their initiative on May 19.

Supporters of a bid for California independence are again submitting plans for a 2018 statewide ballot measure to potentially leave the United States.

Members of the California Freedom Coalition gathered outside the state Capitol on Friday before turning in their proposed initiative to the state attorney general’s office for review.

Cindy Sheehan, who gained international attention as an anti-war protestor after her son died during the Iraq war in 2004, told the Los Angeles Times at the gathering that the state should stop subsidizing a federal government that she characterized as out of step with California values.

“We don’t feel like we have a say 3,000 miles away in Washington,” Sheehan said.

The petition, known informally as Calexit, is the second formal bid that secessionists have made since President Trump’s election in November, though numerous organizations have attempted similar efforts over the years. Backers pulled the first initiative after substantial infighting within groups advocating for independence.

The current initiative wouldn't necessarily result in the state exiting the country, but could allow California to be a “fully functioning sovereign and autonomous nation” within the United States.

After receiving the ballot measure, the attorney general’s office will give it a title and summary. Backers will need to collect nearly 600,000 valid voter signatures on petitions to place it on the ballot. </s> Supporters of Californian independence have taken the first step towards secession from the US by submitting a ballot proposal to the state attorney general.

A group called called the ‘Yes California Independence Campaign’ submitted their proposal for a ballot measure on removing a piece of the state’s Constitution that describes it as an “inseparable” part of America.

The group has been around since 2014, but the idea of California’s secession gained momentum since President-elect Donald Trump’s victory.

On Monday, the Yes California Independence Campaign proposed to include the matter on the ballot during the November 2018 gubernatorial elections across the US, where 39 state and territorial governorships as well as numerous other state and local elections would be contested.

The request was filed with the attorney general’s office, asking it to “prepare a circulating title and summary of the enclosed ballot measure: “Calexit: The California Independence Plebiscite of 2019.”

The independence vote would be held sometime in the spring of 2019, provided that the group changes the California Constitution and then collects the number signatures required to put the measure on the 2018 gubernatorial ballot.

The idea of a so-called “Calexit” was first brought up by the group more than two years ago but it only gained traction after Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory on November 8.

According to Marcus Ruiz Evans, the group’s vice president, the Yes California Independence Campaign has thousands of followers on various social media websites and some 13,000 people have volunteered to collect signatures.

Evans said that Trump’s election showed that his organization was right in doubting the current electoral system’s ability to bring real change.

With a population of nearly 38.5 million people, California has 53 electoral votes, more than any US state. All of the state’s electoral votes went to Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

The final results of the presidential vote in the state would determine how many signature the group needs to place the matter on the ballot.

Evans said if 55 percent of the voters supported a referendum on the secession, the group would be able to take the matter to the United Nations according to the world body’s self-determination treaty.

The majority support would amount to an internationally recognized threshold which in turn requires the state’s governor to ask the UN to recognize “the Republic of California” as a member.

To change the Federal Constitution which does not allow secession, the group needs the approval of Congress and 38 states, experts say. </s> California secessionists launched their CalExit signature-gathering drive Friday, riding a wave of momentum churned up by the inauguration of President Trump.

Organizers of the Yes California Independence Campaign posted on their website a downloadable online petition for volunteers circulators a day after the proposed ballot measure was cleared by the California Secretary of State Alex Padilla.

The committee has 180 days to collect at least 585,407 valid signatures to qualify the initiative for the November 2018 ballot.

Recent polls show support for California nationhood falls well short of a majority, but that the idea is catching on with voters.

A Reuters/IPSOS poll released Tuesday found 32 percent of California residents surveyed support seceding from the union as the state’s staunchly liberal voters recoil from the Republican president.

“A third of Californians support #Calexit, Trump is coming after our undocumented immigrants & sanctuary cities,” said Yes California in a Friday tweet. “Come on Sacramento! Join us!”

The 1 in 3 figure represents a surge from a Hoover Institution Golden State Poll released Jan. 19, which found 27 percent of Californians favor CalExit, a term coined after last year’s Brexit vote in which British voters broke from the European Union.

“Among partisans, Democrats were more likely to support Calexit than Republicans, but in the wake of a presidential election, one has to wonder if those partisan differences are driven by dissatisfaction with the outcome of the presidential race rather than anything inherent in the politics of the Golden State,” said Tammy Frisby, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

The initiative would repeal a section from the California Constitution that declares the state is “an inseparable part of the United States and that the United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land.”

The measure would also place a referendum on the 2019 ballot on whether to form a separate nation on the November 2019 ballot.

California Democratic legislators have positioned themselves as a bulwark against the Trump administration, releasing a video on Inauguration Day ticking off their policy priorities and describing California as a “light to the nation.”

“California is more than a great place to live; it is a great source of innovation and an unrivaled economic engine. And so, for the next four years and beyond, we will work to be a light to the nation,” the California Democrats said in the video, called a #DearCalifornians letter.

CalExit supporters argue that the state would be better off as an independent nation, given its ranking as the world’s sixth-largest economy and liberal politics. Democrat Hillary Clinton defeated Mr. Trump in California by a whopping margin of 61 to 31 percent.

“In the age of Trump and Brexit, anything is possible, including a democratic and legal method for California to become its own nation,” said Yes California President Marcus Ruiz Evans in a Jan. 21 op-ed in the San Jose Mercury News.

Others have said good riddance, citing California’s $400 billion in unfunded liabilities and debt.

“As long as we can build a wall around you and you promise to keep the Hollywood loonies, I’m all for it!” said Gail Bayne on Yes California’s Facebook page. “Good luck with a hostile nation invades you.” </s> SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Supporters of making California an independent nation are beginning their second longshot attempt to recruit voters by submitting a new proposed ballot measure.

The measure being submitted to state officials Friday by the separatist California Freedom Coalition takes a more gradual approach than one withdrawn by an earlier group last month.

It would have the governor negotiate with the federal government to give California more autonomy as what supporters call a “nation within a nation.” Or the talks could eventually lead to full independence.
• Calexit group ends effort to break from U.S.

About a dozen supporters gathered outside the state Capitol were met by a nearly equal number of American flag-carrying protesters who want California to remain part of the United States.

The coalition must collect more than 585,000 signatures to qualify for next year’s ballot.

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• CONTROVERSIAL BILL WOULD END LIFETIME REGISTRATION FOR CERTAIN SEX OFFENDERS </s> A campaign for California to secede from the rest of the country over Donald Trump's election is gaining momentum, with supporters allowed to start collecting signatures for the measure to be put to a vote.

California's Secretary of State Alex Padilla gave the green light on Thursday for proponents of "California Nationhood" -- also known as Calexit -- to start collecting the nearly 600,000 signatures needed for the measure to qualify on the November 2018 ballot.

The 585,407 signatures required by July 25 represent eight percent of registered voters in California -- the most populous state in the country with nearly 40 million residents and the world's sixth-largest economy.

Should the initiative make it on the ballot, a "Yes" vote would repeal clauses in the California Constitution "stating California is an inseparable part of the United States and that the United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land," a statement by Padilla's office said.

Voters would then need to decide in another referendum in 2019 whether California should become a separate country.

Padilla said the independence measure -- deemed highly unrealistic -- would have a deep impact on the state and would likely face legal challenges.

"Assuming that California actually became an independent nation, the state and its local governments would experience major, but unknown, budgetary impacts," he warned.

"This measure also would result in tens of millions of dollars of one-time state and local election costs."

Calexit enthusiasts, whose campaign is called Yes California, are pushing for independence on grounds the state is out of step with the rest of the US and could flourish on its own.

"In our view, the United States of America represents so many things that conflict with Californian values, and our continued statehood means California will continue subsidizing the other states to our own detriment, and to the detriment of our children," according to their website.

The idea of independence became very appealing to many Californians following Trump's shock election.

Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton easily beat Trump in the progressive state, winning by more than 4.2 million votes, almost double the number of ballots cast for Trump. </s> Backers seeking to break California away from the U.S. started collecting signatures Friday to get a proposed independence measure on the 2018 statewide ballot.

This isn't the first effort aimed at California secession but leaders say the previous tries were mostly about building awareness of the issue and increasing public support. They say recent polls show more Californians want a divorce from the union and believe that President Donald Trump's election also has boosted their cause.



"We definitely see that there's some newfound support for this and we want to get the signatures out there, especially now because we're in the first 100 days of Donald Trump's presidency when he's going to be aggressively pursuing his policies that the people of California are going to reject — and have rejected," Louis Marinelli, president of the Yes California Independence movement, said in an interview Friday.

However, the state-prepared summary on the petition from California Secretary of State Alex Padilla calls out the uncertain road ahead in this effort, which would have multiple hurdles.

Specifically, the summary said "the fiscal impact of this measure is dependent on various factors, including a vote by the people on this measure, a subsequent vote on California independence, possible legal challenges, and implementation issues. Assuming that California actually became an independent nation, the state and its local governments would experience major, but unknown, budgetary impacts."

In terms of annual GDP, California would rank sixth worldwide if it were a separate nation. California, home to about one out of every eight Americans, voted in favor of Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

Marinelli pointed to a recent opinion poll by Reuters/Ipsos showing one third of California residents now support breaking away from the U.S. The Reuters poll of 500 Californians, which was conducted from Dec. 6 to Jan. 19, found 32 percent support for the withdrawal. That compares with about 20 percent support, or one-in-five Californians, who backed the secession idea in 2014.



According to Marinelli, the so-called Calexit backers have about 7,000 supporters mobilized to gather signatures statewide for the new California nationhood initiative. The California Secretary of State's office said Thursday the backers of the measure must collect the signatures of 585,407 registered voters to qualify for the ballot. Organizers have until July 25, 2017, to meet the requirement.

"We think it's going to be quite easy for us to make the sell," said Marinelli. "California is a different place and has its own culture, its own history, its own identity, its own world view, and its own ideology in a large respect. So we would feel better off if we can set our own destiny, set our own path forward and not be connected to a lot of these obsolete policies of the American system."

Added Marinelli, "There's a lot of this dysfunction going on in the American system, the corruption in Washington, the animosity within the United States as a whole. So we want to break away from all that and set a new path forward. To establish for ourselves some kind of progressive republic on the western shores of North America."

The referendum aims to repeal a provision in the state's constitution that reads "California is an inseparable part of the United States of America, and the United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land."

"What we want to do is give the people of California the chance to vote yes or no on independence," said Marinelli. "If the people want to stay in the country and they want to remain a state they can vote no. We're certainly going to be focusing on the argument about convincing people why it's better for us to become our own country."

Calexit backers see divorce from the union as a two-step process — first the vote in 2018 to repeal the "inseparable" provision from the state constitution and then a special election in 2019 for the independence vote itself. </s> The question could appear on a statewide ballot in 2018 if a group of secessionists has its way.

Yes California has been pushing for the state to break away from the United States and become its own country for several years.

Marcus Evans, the vice president of Yes California, filed a proposed ballot measure with the Attorney General’s Office on Monday that would appear on the November 2018 gubernatorial ballot.

“We always thought that if we just connected with the people who thought about this, but didn’t tell their friends and family because they would be seen as kooky and weird, that the quiet population would become vocal,” Evans said. “If you don’t want to support our suggestion, that’s fine. Let’s just have the conversation and discuss the facts.”

Yes California’s plan to secede is a long shot.

The measure aimed at the 2018 ballot attempts to strike language from the California Constitution that says the state is “an inseparable part of the United States of America, and the United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land.” It also asks voters if they want to secede from the country.

If voters approve the measure, it would establish a special election in March 2019 to ask voters again if they want California to become an independent country, Yes California wrote in a ballot measure filing.

More than half of the registered voters in the state must participate in the special election and at least 55 percent must vote “yes” for the proposal to move forward, according to information submitted by the group. If voters approve the measure, “the governor shall carry and shepherd an application for the newly independent Republic of California to join the United Nations,” they say.

Louis J. Marinelli, president of Yes California, said the group plans to go through the United Nations to seek independence because they don’t believe Congress would sign off on a California exit plan.

“We’re not ashamed about going around Washington to achieve it,” Marinelli said. “Congress can’t tie its shoes. We can wait our whole life while Congress tries to grapple with this, and they won’t do anything.”

Evans said the group filed the ballot proposal in response to an uptick in support in a deep-blue state following the election of Donald Trump.

About 11,000 people liked the Facebook page for Yes California Independence Campaign on election night. The group was nearly to 28,000 likes as of Monday. Supporters have even dubbed the movement “Calexit,” playing off “Brexit,” Britain’s historic decision to leave the European Union in June.

Now the group needs to gather more than half a million signatures from registered California voters for the proposal to qualify for the ballot.

Yes California’s main argument is that California and the U.S. have conflicting values, and the state pays more than its fair share in federal taxes to subsidize other states. Meanwhile, he said, the state’s infrastructure is crumbling, schools are failing and millions of people live in poverty. Evans believes California, which would have the world’s sixth-largest economy if it were a standalone country, would be better off as an independent nation.
California independence supporters submit their second formal bid for a 2018 ballot concerning Calexit.