[Dilbert San Diego]

Is there any provision in law or the Constitution for states to secede from the union? We know there are provisions for admitting new states to the union. But what about states wanting to leave? History tells us we fought a civil war to keep the union together.

If the states really have sovereign status, shouldn’t they legally be allowed to develop plans to secede? I don’t know the law and am curious as to whether someone is committing a federal offense to work towards a state leaving the union.

[a fool in paradise]

I don’t know about the US, but the EUSSR has provisions to keep member states from leaving once they join.

Kind of like Islam.

[baltimorepoet]

Is there any provision in law or the Constitution for states to secede from the union? We know there are provisions for admitting new states to the union. But what about states wanting to leave? History tells us we fought a civil war to keep the union together. If the states really have sovereign status, shouldn’t they legally be allowed to develop plans to secede? I don’t know the law and am curious as to whether someone is committing a federal offense to work towards a state leaving the union.

I hate to point this out about the rationalizations about a "social contract" and "governing with the consent of the governed". How is a "social contract" a contract when it is done under duress? If I put a gun to the head of someone who just drove off the lot after paying cash for a Bugatti supercar and made them sign a contract to sell it to me for $1, how valid is that contract?

I love how "consent of the governed" works. "I will only govern you if you consent to be governed, but if you refuse me consent to be governed, I will imprison and/or kill you."

[DoodleDawg]

Is there any provision in law or the Constitution for states to secede from the union? We know there are provisions for admitting new states to the union. But what about states wanting to leave?

In Texas's case, they have literally been there and done that. Didn't turn out very well for them.

[central_va]

The US Constitution is silent on the subject of secession.

[GraceG]

[ Is there any provision in law or the Constitution for states to secede from the union? We know there are provisions for admitting new states to the union. But what about states wanting to leave? History tells us we fought a civil war to keep the union together.

If the states really have sovereign status, shouldn’t they legally be allowed to develop plans to secede? I don’t know the law and am curious as to whether someone is committing a federal offense to work towards a state leaving the union. ]

Bingo! There SHOULD be a Process, it shouldn’t be overty easy, but then againit shouldn’t be Insanely hard either. It should all hinge on a Majority of the residents in the State and a certain amount of the population of the borderign states or the rest of the state agreeing to it, something like 2/3rds of the population of the state in question and 1/3 of the neighboring or rest fo the states agree to let them leave.

Also the process needs to deal with any federal property ie, millitary assetts and bases and weapons etc...And handing over a certain amount of them to the state national guard as well as an option for anyone inthe millitary from that state to be given the option to stay in the federal millitary provided they move to another state or they can stay in state and join the state guard.

Finally the conversion of the state government to a National one.