Could California be split into six separate states? One Silicon Valley venture capitalist hopes to put a plan before voters this year which would do just that.
The California Secretary of State’s office has given approval to Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper to begin collecting petition signatures for a measure that would split California into six, new, separate states. The 2014 deadline to collect 807,615 signatures is July 18; he may instead put the measure on the 2016 ballot.
Known as the “Six Californias” plan, it would split the Golden State into six states. Turlock, along with Bakersfield, Fresno and Stockton would become Central California, the Sacramento area would become North California, Redding and the far north would become “Jefferson”, the Bay Area would become Silicon Valley, San Diego and Orange County would become South California, and Los Angeles and Santa Barbara would become West California.
The initiative contends “political representation of California’s diverse population and economies has rendered the state nearly ungovernable.”
California has more than 38 million residents, the largest of any state in the country.
“Vast parts of our state are poorly served by a representative government dominated by a large number of elected representatives from a small part our state, both geographically and economically,” the plan says.
In the past, similar proposals have suggested making California into two or three states.
Critics of the the Six Californias plan maintain that the split is unlikely to occur. Even if passed by California voters, the U.S. Congress would still have to approve the plan, which would add 10 more senators to the U.S. Senate, require various other electoral college adjustments, and necessitate a revision of the U.S. flag to add five additional stars.
Locally many issues would arise, such as water policy, water rights, ag policy and the division of assets between regions.
