Texas Republicans push for a referendum to vote on the state seceding from the U.S. in 2023 at meeting that declared Biden's win illegitimate

UK Daily Mail ^ | 06/20/2022 | Emily Goodin and Paul Farrell

[DFG]

Texas Republicans want to hold a referendum next year to decide whether or not the state should secede from the U.S.

The party charges the state has taken its right to self-govern and calls for secession.

The demand was part of the party platform Republicans voted on at their state convention this weekend, where they also formally rejected President Joe Biden's election in 2020 as legitimate.

Under a section titled 'State Sovereignty,' the platform states: 'Pursuant to Article 1, Section 1, of the Texas Constitution, the federal government has impaired our right of local self-government. Therefore, federally mandated legislation that infringes upon the 10th Amendment rights of Texas should be ignored, opposed, refused, and nullified.

'Texas retains the right to secede from the United States, and the Texas Legislature should be called upon to pass a referendum consistent thereto.'

Texas has long pushed an independent movement, called 'Texit.'

After the area declared independence from Mexico in 1836, it was a sovereign state for nine years before it was annexed by the United States in 1845. There have been multiple secession movement since then.

Legally Texas cannot secede from the union. There has been a myth that it can because of the way it was annexed but the Congressional order of annexation merely stated Texas could - at a future date - divide itself into five states. It says nothing about leaving the union.

[eastexsteve]

Only if the rest of the states, minus the northeast and west coast, joins them.

I bet several would.

[Robert DeLong]

I understood what you were saying, but when the state secedes it expects to own all of its existing boundaries and everything within those boundaries, just like S.C. expected that. At the same time, the Federal Government is going to expect to control that facility.

Not going to be as cut & dry as you assume it might be, at least in my humble opinion.

It will become even worse if more states soon followed Texas into secession.

[eastexsteve]

Good luck funding an Air Force and Army. And since you’re on the gulf a Navy as well.

We already have all three. And, by the time all the Texans leave the US military, there won't be much USA military to worry about.

[Cboldt]

-- I understood what you were saying, but when the state secedes it expects to own all of its existing boundaries and everything within those boundaries, --

Or own what it already owns. It already DOESN'T own the federal and tribal land.

-- Not going to be as cut & dry as you assume it might be, at least in my humble opinion. --

I don't think it's cut and dry. Just different. I expect resistance, but more like Brexit than Ft. Sumpter.

I think at some point the feds might even trigger it or ask for it. Countries and boundaries and political control shift over the ages. US is not immune to those forces.

[Political Junkie Too]

the mindset of the framers, which was they may leave if they decide the gov is tyrantical

I think you're paraphrase is a slight misstatement of what they said.

The Founders said that when a form of government becomes tyrannical, it is the right of the people to throw it off and institute another. The Declaration of Independence was the document that founded the nation; the Constitution created our federated form of government.

The Declaration of Independence was an irrevocable mutual "pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor" to form a new nation. It took the Articles of Confederation, and throwing off the Articles of Confederation, before we arrived at the Constitution, our government document.

Throwing off the Articles of Confederation was not leaving the nation, it was only changing the form of government. Our Constitution has Article V as the mechanism to change the government; throwing off the Constitution is not seceding from the country.

The only way to throw off the tyrannical government is to amend the Constitution to rein it in, eliminate the parts we don't like, and add new ones to it with the consent of the states.

Secession violates the mutual pledge between the states at its founding, and is not an option.

-PJ

[DannyTN]

After seeing the way Russia is formenting and using secessionist movements in Ukraine and Moldava, I’d look very closely for foreign influence behind these secessionist movements.

[BobL]

Unless Texas makes the proper moves to start severing itself from entities controlled by the federal government, all the Biden Administration will have to do to bring Texas to its knees is punch-in a few keystrokes in DC.

...think Canadian Truckers, if you don’t believe me.

[KittenClaws]

Mark.

[ought-six]

I was with you until your last sentence, which is when you went off the rails. Talk about a non-sequitur! You go from discussing the Constitution and the consequences of secession — all valid points; but then, peculiarly, you veer off into the realm of irrelevance, and ask if Texas has nuclear weapons. As I said, a non-sequitur.

Maybe you were suggesting a nuclear war over a state seceding? I doubt even Russia would do that.

[Robert DeLong]

Well, I am not arguing with you, just bringing up points to discuss. Truth is neither of us knows what would occur. All we can do is speculate. 🙂

[Robert DeLong]

I wasn't suggesting anything, and nuclear weapons are not a non-sequitur, as you suggest. They may or may not be a part of the equation. I personally do not know where we have nuclear weapons located at through the U.S. It would become an issue if Texas seceded and they had nuclear weapons in their possession.

Now Russia was able to get Ukraine to return all of the nuclear weapons that were located within Ukraine. Ukraine itself has said they regret having given them back because they would have deterred Russia from invading if they had not given them back.

The same may apply if Texas has nuclear weapons located within their borders, as to whether it would be a peaceful or less than peaceful exit.

[ShadowAce]

I believe the answer is 39.
That’s quite an impressive political cudgel to wield... over the Republican party.

Not really--The total number goes down, but so does the requirement for winning.

[JD_UTDallas]

Succession is by definition extra constitutional. The only way to achieve it is for all those safe queen guns to come out and start putting dicks in the dirt period full stop. Anyone who thinks succession would not involve bloodshed is naive and should be ignored. The way to independence is always paved with the blood of the prior ruling group and the blood of patriots this is as sure as the sun rises in the east. Accept it ,prepare for it and when the time comes kill for your freedom. If you lack the stomach to kill a former country men to leave their union then perhaps you should leave the battlefield and let those that do have the stones decide who writes the history of the battles. Texas should have long ago left the rot of the union I would gladly kill loyalists and sleep well at night. Texan first Texas always.

[ShadowAce]

It already DOESN'T own the federal and tribal land.

Who will enforce ownership? That is currently a gov't function. When two states lay claim to the same property, who prevails? Would Texas abide by a SCOTUS ruling, who is beholden to the US? I doubt it.

War would already be declared, so that would not deter TX from laying claim. I think, upon declaration of secession/hostilities, that those lands would belong to Texas. If not in deed, then in practicality.

[Howie66]

Oh. When was that?

[ShadowAce]

They can leave if they can push thru a constitutional amendment.

The very second Texas declares secession, the Constitution no longer applies to Texas. It does not matter what the Constitution says--that's a legal document for the US, which would be a different, separate, country.

[ought-six]

“I wasn’t suggesting anything, and nuclear weapons are not a non-sequitur, as you suggest. They may or may not be a part of the equation. I personally do not know where we have nuclear weapons located at through the U.S. It would become an issue if Texas seceded and they had nuclear weapons in their possession.”

I’m sorry; I misunderstood your question. You were really asking if there were US nukes in Texas, not if Texas itself had nukes.

I don’t know the answer to that. I’ve been out of the Air Force for almost 50 years. There are a lot of military bases in Texas, especially Air Force bases; but several of those are training bases.

[Howie66]

“No one stated that Texas could not secede, just that they could not do so constitutionally, as the constitution currently stands..”

As things currently stand, we do NOT have a functioning Constitution and have not had one for some time.

Please show me where I might be mistaken on this.

[Scott Kraut]

The Declaration of Independence lays out the reasoning for secession. The principles cited are as true today as they were in 1776.

[nomorelurker]

“Do right and risk the consequences.”
— Sam Houston

#Cowboy #Risk #Consequence

“Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may.”
— Sam Houston

#Texas #May #Oppression

“I have ever been opposed to banks, - opposed to internal improvements by the general government, - opposed to distribution of public lands among the states, - opposed to taking the power from the hands of the people, - opposed to special monopolies, - opposed to a protective tariff, - opposed to a latitudinal construction of the constitution, - opposed to slavery agitation and disunion. This is my democracy. Point to a single act of my public career not in keeping with these principles.”
— Sam Houston

#Government #Hands #Land

“I am aware that in presenting myself as the advocate of the Indians and their rights, I shall stand very much alone.”
— Sam Houston

#Rights #Advocating #Presenting

“A leader is someone who helps improve the lives of other people or improve the system they live under.”
— Sam Houston

#Leadership #People #Helping

“Texas is the finest portion of the globe that has ever blessed my vision!”
— Sam Houston

#Blessed #Texas #Vision

“We view ourselves on the eve of battle. We are nerved for the contest, and must conquer or perish. It is vain to look for present aid: none is at hand. We must now act or abandon all hope! Rally to the standard, and be no longer the scoff of mercenary tongues! Be men, be free men, that your children may bless their father’s name.”
— Sam Houston

#Children #Father #Bad Ass

“The benefits of education and of useful knowledge, generally diffused through a community, are essential to the preservation of a free government.”
— Sam Houston

#Education #Government #Aquariums

“Texas will again lift it’s head and stand among the nations. It ought to do so, for no country upon the globe can compare with it in natural advantages.”
— Sam Houston

#Country #Texas #Natural

“I would give no thought of what the world might say of me, if I could only transmit to posterity the reputation of an honest man.”
— Sam Houston

#Honesty #Character #Men

“In the name of the constitution of Texas, which has been trampled upon, I refuse to take this oath. I love Texas too well to bring civil strife and bloodshed upon her.”
— Sam Houston

#Texas #Names #Civil War

“I beseech those whose piety will permit them reverently to petition, that they will pray for this union, and ask that He who buildeth up and pulleth down nations will, the mercy preserve and unite us. For a Nation divided against itself cannot stand. I wish, if this Union must be dissolved, that its ruins may be the monument of my grave, and the graves of my family. I wish no epitaph to be written to tell that I survive the ruin of this glorious Union.”
— Sam Houston

— Sam Houston

“Texas can make it without the United States, but the United States cannot make it without Texas”

Sam Houston was a great General/Politician/Diplomat other states will not let Texas go.