California County Secession Movement Grows, Jefferson Could Be 51st State

A California county secession bid sounded a bit weak at first as the small jurisdiction has fewer than 50,000 residents, but adjoining counties are eyed for a potential larger scale break from the troubled state.

The California county secession movement began in Siskiyou County, where residents are fed up of being saddled with Sacramento’s regulations and Southern California’s financial woes.

The rural California county’s secession rumblings stem from an area that could not be more unlike Los Angeles, whose expenses and issues are impeding the rest of the state in areas that are less fiscally troubled and more small-townlike.

In Siskiyou County, the board of supervisors voted four to one to move forward with secession plans and attempt to form a new state, Jefferson. Siskiyou’s relative small size means such a move is ambitious, and the county is hoping neighboring counties in Northern California and Southern Oregon will sign on to split and totally mess up our now-symmetrical flag.

Supervisor Ed Valenzuela chairs the board, and was the sole dissenting vote in the four to one tally. Valenzuela says that he swore to “uphold the Constitution and uphold the constitution of the state of California,” adding that while he personally disagrees, he plans to serve the constituency:

“I signed on to work within the system I know… I don’t like it, I don’t agree with it all the time, but… I did sign up for that and I will continue to do so.”

Humboldt County Supervisor Rex Bohn indicated that the California county succession idea was infectious, commenting on the vote:

“I was one of the people who thinks the state of Jefferson wasn’t a bad idea… There has been a total lack of respect of our water rights and the fire fee. Those things may not be important to the rest of the state, but it’s important to us.”

Support for the California county succession bid is reportedly very high among locals.