By Sara Beth Williams–
An organization seeking to split California into two states is hosting an in-person vote in counties across the state on Saturday, Aug. 2, with Citrus Heights serving as the voting location in Sacramento County.
The preliminary voting day is designed to gauge support for the New California State proposed state constitution. The event will take place in the West Hall of Citrus Heights Fellowship church, located at 7405 Mariposa Ave., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the group’s website.
According to organizers, the vote will be held “in principle”, meaning participants are being asked to approve the general framework and direction of the proposed constitution, not to adopt it into law. According to a press release, the same constitution was passed internally by the group’s self-organized Senate and Assembly on July 1 during its 13th Constitutional Convention in Visalia, California.
California identification and proof of residency are required in order to cast a vote. The vote is in-person only and will not be extended beyond the single-day event. Paper ballots will be used, and results will be hand-counted on-site with same-day totals announced, the website says.
The New California State movement aims to form a 51st state made up of California’s rural regions, while leaving urban areas like Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and Sacramento in the existing state. According to a proposed map, Sacramento County would be split between two states, with Citrus Heights being located in New California.
Organizers allege that the current California government no longer represents rural communities and believe a new state would bring greater local control and economic opportunity. The Sacramento Bee described the effort as a “far-fetched proposal” earlier this year, when reporting on a rally held by the group at the State Capitol in February.
The New California effort is spearheaded by radio host Paul Preston, who became “disillusioned” with the 51st State of Jefferson movement and began working on the current project in 2016, according to the Redding Record Spotlight.
Saturday’s vote is described as part of a step-by-step plan modeled after the creation of West Virginia during the Civil War, when it split from Virginia to remain in the Union. The group claims the US Constitution’s “Guarantee Clause” supports their effort to reestablish a “republican form of government” in what they call “New California.”
The Sentinel reached out to the office of California State Assemblymember Josh Hoover, who represents Citrus Heights and other areas in District 7, and is still awaiting comment.
