Whose Time Has Come

Freedom-loving, energy-rich Northern Colorado is drawing closer to seceding from the rest of the Democrat-addled state:

“The concerns of rural Coloradans have been ignored for years,” William Garcia, chairman of the Weld County Commissioners, said in a statement. “The last session was the straw that broke the camel’s back for many people. They want change. They want to be heard.”

Three other rural counties — Cheyenne, Sedgwick and Yuma — also plan to place the 51st state referendum on the fall ballot. At least three more counties plan to consider the proposal this week at their commission meetings, said Jeffrey Hare, spokesman for the 51st State Initiative.

Known for its agriculture and oil and gas production, Weld is the largest of the Colorado counties exploring a break with the state after the legislature’s sharp turn to the left with bills restricting access to firearms and doubling the state’s renewable-energy mandate for rural areas.

I pondered this in Minnesota; a similar movement would be less a matter of the productive parts of the state “seceding” from Minnesota than of kicking Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Anoka and Saint Louis Counties, and the Iron Range, out of the state.  And I suspect that’s a little constitutionally dodgier…

Forming a state isn’t easy: Even if the ballot measures pass, the Colorado state legislature would be required to amend the constitution to configure the state’s borders and refer a request for a new state to Congress.

Approving a 51st state would require a majority vote of both houses of Congress, although the Constitution doesn’t require the signature of the president, Mr. Hare said.

In other words, it won’t happen until the GOP controls both chambers (if then, given the performance of the Boehner caucus).  With any Democrat majorities at all, the idea would be dead in the water.  Can you  imagine what’d happen if Democrat parts of states didn’t have GOP regions to pay their bills for them?

“Again, folks say this can never happen. However, we are starting to hear from disenfranchised groups all over the country,” said a post on the 51st State Initiative’s website. “We are truly a divided nation. It is possible, if not likely, that we may not be the only group requesting from Congress the formation of a new state.”

5 thoughts on “Whose Time Has Come

  1. One of the arguments that Lincoln made against the right of states to secede was that it was inherent in the concept of the union itself. If states could secede, they would join and leave and rejoin the Union whenever they felt it was to their advantage to do so.
    The same reasoning applies to regions of existing states. There is, however, the example of West Virginia,

  2. Thanks for heading this off. > Is anybody else annoyed when you hear Republicans tell you they are the Party of Lincoln *and* favor secession?

  3. @Emery – um, I don’t think the Northern Coloradoans are looking to leave the U.S. / form their own country. So characterizing this as secession is more than a bit off.

  4. /”Freedom-loving, energy-rich Northern Colorado is drawing closer to seceding from the rest of the Democrat-addled state:”/

  5. @bubbasan;
    Did you take the time to read the link MBerg provided? Had you done so, you would realize how wrong your comment/assumption is.

    /”Rural Coloradans to vote on breaking away as 51st state, angered by liberal policies on guns, energy./
    /The Weld County Commissioners voted unanimously at Monday’s meeting to place a measure on the Nov. 5 ballot asking voters whether they want the county to join other rural counties in forming another state.”/ http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/aug/19/colorado-counties-vote-forming-new-state/#ixzz2csyriDNh

    Definition of Secede: to withdraw from an organization (as a religious communion or political party or federation) http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secede

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