How to Proceed

Separatism is not the proposal of this web site. But many of the same arguments that lead to proposals for California being separated from the rest of the Union contribute to the case for dividing the state. (Of course, the one exception is that a new republic could allow immigrants like Arnold to become President without the problem of a Constitutional Amendment. For more on having California "released" from the Union, see my alternative analysis at A New California Republic.)

So how do we proceed to divide the state into three states?

The Legislature needs to place a three state proposal referendum on the statewide ballot. It should provide for the creation of a Commission to prepare on behalf of the Legislature a detailed proposal to divide the State approximately as indicated in the maps here (while we recognize that the boundaries proposed here may need some adjustment, we would hate to see either an effort to divide the state in two nor in three ways horizontally as has been suggested in the past, nor would we want to see peculiar gerrymandering).

The referendum should provide that the Commission's proposal be placed on the ballot by the Secretary State as a proposed amendment to the State Constitution. Finally, it should provide that if the Commission's proposal be approved by a majority of the voters of the State that the State's Congressional Delegation including all members of the U.S. House of Representatives elected from the State and the State's two U. S. Senators sponsor and introduce a bills in each house to implement the division of the State.

That's how it could be done. Now, we need only persuade the Legislature, the voters, then Congress.