Texas Republican becomes first lawmaker in a century to file bill aimed at secession from the US

This Tuesday, Republican Texas state Rep. Rep. Kyle Biedermann filed the Texas Independence Referendum Act, which if passed would allow Texans to vote on whether the Texas Legislature should put together a joint interim committee to create a plan for Texas independence, KVUE reports.

Biedermann says the bill is not calling for immediate secession, but instead allows the people to discuss, debate and vote in order to create a path towards such a goal. He has also created a petition in support of secession, which has garnered just over 13,400 signatures as of this writing.

“This act simply lets Texans vote,” Biedermann said. “This decision is too big to be monopolized solely by the power brokers in our Capitol. We need to let Texans’ voices be heard! Voters of all political persuasions in Texas can agree on one thing, Washington, D.C., is and has been broken. Our federal government continuously fails our working families, seniors, taxpayers, veterans and small business owners. For decades, the promises of America and our individual liberties have been eroding. It is now time that the people of Texas are allowed the right to decide their own future. This is not a left or right political issue. Let Texans vote!”

According to the Daily Beast, Biedermann is the first American legislator in nearly a century to file a formal bill calling for a state to secede from the United States.

Biedermann says he believes people are flocking to the state every year to escape a “climate of over-regulation and taxation.”

“Texas is seen as the bastion of freedom and a leader of free enterprise, which has built a robust economy, financial solvency and capacity for massive energy production worthy of the world stage,” he said. “These are all indications that the Republic of Texas would not just survive but thrive as an independent nation. Now is the time for Texas to lead.”

As the Daily Beast points out, the bill is unlikely to pass, mainly because unilateral secession remains illegal in the United States.

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Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.