California secessionists are at it again. For the third time, a “Calexit” ballot initiative was filed Thursday with the Secretary of State, in yet another attempt to push the most populous state to secede from the United States.
What is different this time?
The San Jose Mercury-News reports that the new effort focuses on using the U.S. Constitution to achieve secession, rather than a referendum:
The new group named California Calls for a Constitutional Convention — “Cal Con Con” for short — is taking a different tack from previous independence campaigns. Instead of asking for Californians to vote for greater autonomy or independence from the U.S., Cal Con Con aims to go straight to the U.S. Constitution.
Under the initiative, California’s Legislature would ask Congress to call a constitutional convention, where state lawmakers would propose changes that would give states — not just California — “a clear and reasonable path” for “complete independence.”
This route would not require gaining traction from the public, something that opinion polls indicate wasa daunting task for the first two CalExit groups.
This latest attempt to secede is being championed by Clare Hedin, identified by the Mercury News as a “San Francisco State lecturer, singer-songwriter and sound healer who was born in England.”
According to the Times of San Diego, Hedin hopes to do a whole lot more than just secede:
“Steps to secession need to be in the Constitution,” initiative author Clare Hedin told City News Service. “No one today would even enter an airplane without an exit strategy being in place, let alone a lifelong agreement defining power structures.”
Other proposed amendments…include guaranteeing health care for all, providing “free, high quality universal education,” abolishing the Electoral College or having proportional representation in the Electoral College…
“…We believe the U.S. political system has had its day and has proved its limitations. It’s time for something new, something more intelligent and with a broader vision of the global community in which we now live and have a responsibility to contribute to positively.”
Article V is a provision of the Constitution that allows for states to call a constitutional convention to propose amendments — which would then be submitted to all the states, each requiring two-thirds for approval. An Article V Convention has never been called, although most recently there has been a conservative movement calling for a “Convention of States” to address federal overreach.
Tim Donnelly is a former California State Assemblyman and Author, currently on a book tour for his new book: Patriot Not Politician: Win or Go Homeless. He also ran for governor in 2014.
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/tim.donnelly.12/
Twitter: @PatriotNotPol
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