Free Republic

Louis J. Marinelli is a man on a quixotic mission: to help California secede from the United States and become an independent country. Surprisingly, this quest has been going relatively well of late. Marinelli's group, Yes California, is attempting to collect 585,000 signatures necessary to place a secessionist question on the 2018 ballot. Buoyed by California's already tense relationship with President Donald Trump, the campaign has received a large amount of press coverage and support over the past few months. But for the 30-year-old Yes California president, there remains one annoying problem: People keep asking him why he lives in...

California gained an embassy in Russia last weekend, at least in the eyes of those who have promised to seek a statewide vote on secession, nicknamed "Calexit," in 2018. Louis Marinelli, a San Diego resident who is the leader of the group promoting an effort to turn the state into an independent country , organized the Moscow event that was publicized on social media. "We want to start laying the groundwork for a dialogue about an independent California joining the United Nations now," he said in an email Monday. (TWEET-AT-LINK) Marinelli is currently working as an English teacher in Russia,...

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Louis Marinelli, leader of the movement, said the embassy will not deal with diplomatic issues, but will act as more of a cultural center that will educate Russians about California's history, boost trade ties and promote tourism. “We're not requesting military assistance from Russia,” Marinelli explained. “We're certainly going to request recognition of our independence and recognition of our [2019] independence referendum result, as we're going to request that the entire international community recognizes the results.”

Donald Trump’s stunning election win has some Californians so upset that they want to secede from the United States. A group calling itself Yes California has organized a petition drive for a referendum in the spring 2019 election to demand a convention of states to approve “Calexit,” which would recreate the Republic of California of 1850. Louis Marinelli writes that the movement “is about California taking its place in the world, standing as an equal among nations.” Taking one’s place in the world is something Marinelli knows about, as the New York Times discovered. His place in the world isn’t...

In contrast to the so-called Calexit movement, which aspires to secession, these proponents see California’s salvation in greater local autonomy within the union. A few years ago, a bid to create six states out of California drew wide media attention but ultimately fizzled. Now, the architect of that effort, a tech billionaire named Timothy C. Draper, is back with another idea: three Californias. He submitted paperwork that would put the question before voters in 2018.

A group that wants California to secede from the United States can start collecting signatures for its ballot initiative. The state attorney general issued an official ballot measure title and summary Tuesday. The campaign can now start gathering the more than 585,000 signatures it will need to qualify for the 2018 ballot. The initiative would form a commission to recommend avenues for California to pursue its independence and delete part of the state constitution that says it is an inseparable part of the U.S. The measure would also instruct the governor and California congressional delegation to negotiate more autonomy for...

A colossal waste of time, money, and the public's attention span is underway in the golden state. Casey Tolan of the Mercury-News reports: For the first time since before the Civil War, voters across California will decide in November on a proposal to split up the Golden State – potentially remaking it into three new states. An initiative dividing California, pushed by Silicon Valley venture capital investor Tim Draper, received enough signatures to qualify it for the November ballot, the Secretary of State's office confirmed Tuesday afternoon. Supporters of the radical plan submitted more than 600,000 signatures, and a random sample projected that...

The American Civil War is often thought of as being the deciding historical factor putting to rest any future ambition of individual or groups of states wanting to secede from the union. Well over a century later, the idea of secession appears far from settled in the minds of millions of Americans—Democrats and Republicans alike. In fact, secession mindedness has been gaining ground following the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, which showed the nation to be more politically divided than ever. A newly released poll found that two-thirds (66 percent) of Republicans living in southern states, including Texas and Florida,...

Californians likely will vote in November on a long-shot referendum to split their giant state into three – a measure that, while standing little chance of success, would represent a political gift to Democrats. Such a California breakup would upset the political balance in the Senate if it actually happened, and hurt the GOP. According to a Fox News analysis of county-level voting data, splitting California as outlined would create two solid blue states and one leaning blue state. That could very well mean four extra Senate seats for Democrats – plus four more electoral votes in presidential elections. So...