Should San Bernardino secede from California? Americans weigh

According to a new poll, more Americans oppose than support a proposal to have San Bernardino County break away from California and form its own state.

Earlier this month, a narrow majority of San Bernardino voters voted in favor of Measure EE, which said county officials should “investigate and advocate for all options to get a fair share of funding for the State by county, including secession from the State of California”.

A total of 51.3% of San Bernardino voters supported the measure on Nov. 8, compared to 48.7% who opposed it.

However, according to a Redfield & Wilton Strategies survey conducted for Newsweekthe plan does not attract much support across the country.

The survey found that only 29% of respondents think San Bernardino should be allowed to “secession” from the Golden State, compared to 37% who oppose it. The remaining 34% answered “don’t know”.

In the United States, a representative sample of 1,500 eligible voters were interviewed for the poll, which was conducted on November 17.

San Bernardino County had an estimated population of 2,181,654 according to the 2020 U.S. Census, greater than the figure recorded in 14 U.S. states.

Jeff Burum, a real estate magnate, is among those suggesting San Bernardino County should leave California, arguing that the county does not receive enough support at the state level.

Talk to The sun of San Bernardino, he said, “I would never voluntarily leave this state.

“But I can tell you this, if you keep abusing me and us, sometimes you have no choice but to defend yourself.”

Burum also suggested that San Bernardino County should be called “Empire”, if it became its own state.

According to the US constitution, San Bernardino County would need the consent of Congress and the California legislature to become its own state.

The last time part of a state successfully broke away and became a full state was in 1863, when West Virginia was admitted to the United States as an independent state. of Virginia.

A number of states, including Texas, Alaska, and California, are home to full-fledged independence movements seeking to break away from the United States.

In June, a motion was approved at the Texas Republican Party convention in Houston suggesting holding a referendum on Texas’ break with the union.

It said, “Texas retains the right to secede from the United States, and the Texas Legislature should be called upon to pass a referendum consistent therewith.”

Talk to NewsweekCynthia Nicoletti, a law professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, said it is unconstitutional for a state to decide on its own to leave the union.

She said: “States cannot unilaterally secede from the United States.

“This was established both by the outcome of our Civil War and by the Supreme Court in Texas v. White in 1869. Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution also prohibits states from entering into covenants, treaties or confederations.”