A Republican lawmaker in Texas has introduced a bill that would allow Texans to vote on whether they want to secede from the United States and become an independent republic. State Rep. Bryan Slaton filed House Bill 3596 on March 4, 2023, which would place a referendum on the 2024 general election ballot asking voters: “Whether or not the State should investigate the possibility of Texas independence, and present potential plans to the Legislature.”
A Republican lawmaker in Texas has introduced a bill that would allow Texans to vote on whether they want to secede from the United States and become an independent republic.
State Rep. Bryan Slaton filed House Bill 3596 on March 4, 2023, which would place a referendum on the 2024 general election ballot asking voters: “Whether or not the State should investigate the possibility of Texas independence, and present potential plans to the Legislature.”
Slaton said in a statement that he introduced the bill because he believes that the federal government has overstepped its constitutional authority and violated the rights of Texans.
Slaton added that he believes that Texas has the right to determine its own destiny and that the people of Texas should have a say in the matter.
The bill has been referred to the House State Affairs Committee, but it is unlikely to pass the legislature or receive the approval of Governor Greg Abbott, who has said that he supports the union and does not favor secession.
Even if the bill were to pass and the referendum were to be held, secession would still face significant legal and practical challenges. The U.S. Constitution does not provide a clear mechanism for a state to leave the union, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1869 that secession is unconstitutional.
Moreover, secession would have major implications for the economy, security, trade, immigration, and other issues that would require complex negotiations and agreements with the federal government and other states and countries.
The most recent secession movement gained momentum after the 2020 presidential election, when some Texans felt disillusioned and disenfranchised by the outcome and the policies of the Biden administration.
A group called the Texas Nationalist Movement, which claims to have over 400,000 members, has been campaigning for secession for years and has endorsed Slaton’s bill. The group argues that Texas would be better off as an independent nation that can control its own destiny and resources.
However, according to a recent poll by the University of Texas and the Texas Tribune, only 23% of Texans support secession, while 66% oppose it.
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