Californian independence

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A proposed flag for the California secession movement

The movement for Californian independence is a minor political movement in the U.S. state of California. The vast majority of the movement advocates secession from the Union through entirely peaceful means.

Arguments in favor of the secessionist movement include California's stem cell research initiatives, the fact that California tax payers are shouldering a disproportionate tax burden for the rest of the country,^[1] California's relatively liberal views when compared to the growing anti-secularism in the rest of the country, as well as California's economy (one of the top ten strongest economies in the world). ^[2]^[3]

The Bear Flag of California

However, it should be noted that following the American Civil War, the Supreme Court ruled in Texas v White that states do not have the right to unilaterally secede from the Union. Meaning, any future attempts to secede would either require a new Supreme Court ruling, the consent of the United States, or a successful revolution. In addition, the California Constitution does not allow the state to leave the United States; this would need to be amended by the state legislature or referendum before any attempt to secede.

The First Bear Flag

Certain groups take as their emblem the original Bear Flag meaning to recall California's early, albeit brief, time as a sovereign nation: the Bear Flag Republic. These groups claim that California's earlier bout of independence establishes a precedent to which they could return. ^[4]