Talk of secession is brewing in one California county. San Bernardino County voters in November will decide if they want local leaders to look into what benefits would come from breaking away from the state. THe county covers more than 20,000 miles and is the largest in the country. The county covers more ground than Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and Rhode Island combined.
Because the area is just a county, not its own state, officials there want to know if secession would give them access to more revenue and federal funding.
Here is how the proposed question will appear on ballots Nov. 8: “Do the citizens of San Bernardino County want the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors to study all options to obtain its fair share of state and federal resources, up to and including secession?”
Even if the measure passes, it doesn’t mean secession is happening. It just means the option will be looked at more seriously. The Board of Supervisors approved the measure on Wednesday with a 4-0 vote.
It’s far from the first time the topic has been raised. In 2018 there was a proposal to split California into three entities. It was struck down by the California Supreme Court before making it to the ballot. There have also been efforts in the past for the state itself to secede from the United States.
Recently, during the COVID pandemic, northern California revived talks of becoming its own state along with part of Oregon to form the 51st state, called Jefferson. Bothered by the strict rules, lingering laws, and vaccine mandates, the region wanted way to break free from COVID restrictions.
Jefferson has been a concept since 1941 and to residents in the area, it is more than just a concept. They already have their state lines drawn out. Jefferson would be comprised of four counties from Oregon and three counties from California and covers an area just slightly smaller than the state of West Virginia. The would-be state also has its own flag and seal, and once even had its own governor.
The people who live in the designated area have been serious about secession for decades. Just as the vote on making Jefferson a state was about to take place, the assault on Pearl Harbor happened and plans for Jefferson were scrapped so residents of all states in the United States could focus on the nation’s efforts in World War II.
