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Placer is guaranteed to vote favorably for such an initiative. In 1992 (or 1994, I don't recall which) California State Assemblyman Stan Statham (R) worked out a deal with Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D) that placed a non-binding question of separating the state on the ballot of a handful of rural northern counties. It question easily passed, but it was nothing more than tokenism since it was non-binding, and the counties question would have never had the votes necessary to carry an initiative statewide.

I don't know the full details of the deal worked out between the two assemblymen, but do believe it included a provision the Republicans would never raise the issue again in the state legislature. While I've received overwhelming interest from many key state Republicans, and even a nice reply from California State Senator Tom McClintock (my personal favorite to be the first Governor of the new large state), there has been hesitation, on the part of the state Republican Party and Chapters to get involved.

I can't speak for the state Republican Party, nor any other political organization, but I've no question how the voters in the 50 counties will vote regardless of party affiliation. The results would best mirror the populist results of the Special Election that tossed Grey Davis out of office due to the energy fiasco and crisis. The 50 counties that would form the larger state is a careful mixture of counties that can easily deliver the votes necessary to pass an initiative splitting the state to create a conservative state that would recognize the concerns of counties like Placer.