A bill to allow for a referendum on whether Texas should secede from the United States was filed

[LetMyPeopleVote]

I have a deal that is supposed to close this week and I get a text from the Texas Democrats about Texas seceding from the Union. After I got off the last call, I had to go check

Link to tweet

My high school debate coach/civics teacher had a saying that is still true

No true Texan can sleep soundly while the Texas legislature is in session.

[temporary311]

1. I'd be in favor.

Give em the non-tribal parts of Oklahoma as a going away present, then admit DC and Puerto Rico as states. Won't even have to change the flag.

edit: They'd also have to give up El Paso.

[moose65]

24. What would you do with the millions of liberals who live there?

Biden got over 5 million votes in Texas. More than he got in New York.

This secession talk is baloney.

[In It to Win It]

36. I'll take them here in Florida

Lord knows we need the votes

[hippywife]

27. Sorry, but many of us live in red states...

and can't afford to upend our lives and move. No one goes.

[Traildogbob]

51. Deport the Repugs

I will not run away. Fuck those ass holes. Like THEY say, “love it or FUCKING LEAVE it!!!

[area51]

97. +1 n/t

[grumpyduck]

2. More theatre.

They know they would never survive.

[temporary311]

3. This is why I'd be in favor.

It would be like the last time they were independent. Then we can readmit them in around 15-20 years, after they've run their economy into the ground, as a territory.

[MurrayDelph]

4. And in the meantime

No Senator Ted Cruz.

[temporary311]

5. I didn't even think about it.

Yet another point in favor.

[machoneman]

37. Ah, TexASS would be down 2 Senators and our margin would increase!

[JanLip]

15. Call their bluff

😏

[Volaris]

50. Oh, no no no..if they go, I want them gone for 50 years at least...

Plenty long enough for the ones who decided to leave to all die off, and long enough for their adult kids to realize what their fool parents fucked them out of...I wouldn't let them back in without a full-blown color revolution.

15 years is just long enough for them to REALIZE their mistake; sorry, but I would want them to have to LIVE WITH IT.

[former9thward]

56. Why would they not survive?

[MurrayDelph]

72. While they have their own power (when it works)

they would be missing other utilities.

They would no longer have free access to the Interstate Highway system, and would need passports to go into neighboring states.

We would pull our military from them, causing them to lose income from those businesses that support that base.

[former9thward]

78. TX has the highest job growth of any state.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/job-growth-by-state

I don't think you know much about the TX economy.

[MurrayDelph]

80. They have it NOW

The whole point of this exercise is predicting what would happen if they secede, which means by definition they would no longer be a state.

[inthewind21]

96. Yet

They whine for federal money on a near constant basis. Cant keep their power grid up and running yet still gouge for electricity. The air pollution in Houston is horrible. Speaking of Harris County, it's an enormous marshland, yet every hurricane season they need federal help with the flooding that we all know is going to happen. The schools have gone straight into the toilet, everyone is now armed just because, the hate is dripping from everything there and the state is controlled by morons that keep getting elected over and over and over. So do tell, exactly what is Texas doing for it citizens with that awesome economy? And before you chastise me, I was born and raised in Texas. Raised my kids there. Lived in Dallas and Houston. I have a gay son, THAT was when it became a no brainer and I took him and split. There's not enough $$ in the world to make me want to go back.

[former9thward]

99. Those problems are present in every big state.

CA has worse power outages and rolling blackouts than TX.

The EPA ranks CA cities as the worst in air pollution.

Most polluted US cities by short-term particulate matter

1 Bakersfield-Delano, CA
2 Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA
3 Fairbanks, AK
4 San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

Most polluted US cities by ozone levels

1 Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA
2 Visalia, CA
3 Bakersfield, CA
4 Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA

Most polluted US cities by year-round particulate matter

1 Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA
2 Bakersfield, CA
3 Fairbanks, AK
4 Visalia, CA
5 Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA
6 San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollution_in_the_United_States

I am not saying anyone should go to TX if they don't want to but to say it could not function by itself is not reality. Most big states in the U.S. could function by themselves (CA, FL, TX, NY, just to name some). Does it mean everything would be perfect or even the same as now? No, but they could get by just as smaller countries around the world get by just fine.

[lindysalsagal]

6. Sure! No Medicare, SS, re-negotiate everything entering the state, close interstate highways

let them generate their own electricity and g row their own food.

They can show us all how it's done, and take away the women's vote while they're at it.

They gonna fence it all off and require passports to enter? No problem. I never wanted to go there, anyway.

[JanLip]

16. Me neither

They’re just full of hot air. The only thing I would hate is what would happen to our democrats. I live in a red state and we would prolly be next after Florida to secede. OMG 😱

[BonnieJW]

70. Remove

all the military bases. They can defend themselves with all their guns

[lindysalsagal]

75. Right. Insurance for the rebels? Good luck with that. Without insurance, nothing happens. Nothing.

Idiots.

[C_U_L8R]

7. Do it or don't do it.

But this overdramatized bs is just a platform for more grifting. Fucking conservative crooks, always looking to make a buck off their treason.

[Autumn]

8. I vote yes. Let them leave.

[Justice]

9. Texas can't secede from the Union, here's why

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/01/29/texas-secession/

"In the 1869 case Texas v. White, the court held that individual states could not unilaterally secede from the Union and that the acts of the insurgent Texas Legislature — even if ratified by a majority of Texans — were “absolutely null.”"

"If there were any doubt remaining after this matter, the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia set it to rest when he asked by a screenwriter in 2006 whether there was a legal basis for secession. In his response, he wrote: “The answer is clear,” Scalia wrote. “If there was any constitutional issue resolved by the Civil War, it is that there is no right to secede. (Hence, in the Pledge of Allegiance, ‘one Nation, indivisible.’)”"

[Delphinus]

19. Thank you

[Gregory Peccary]

20. But with the current SCOTUS, all bets are off

Legal precedence only matters when it's convenient to them

[inthewind21]

31. Well

Then that would mean California, and every other state can secede too. That would open the flood gates to other states seceding (think Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, the Carolina's, Virginia and a whole bunch of others following Texas's lead, which would lead to dissolving the union thus rendering the Federal government as we know it, the constitution as well as the Supreme Court irrelevant. Anyone believe for a second they (meaning the Supreme Court) would "rule" themselves right out of existence? How do you suppose it would be for the rest of the states if California, the fifth largest economy in the world, pulled out of the union? Put California and New York together, and well, the rest of what was a country would go straight down the drain. Disclaimer, I'm a born and raised Texan. This succession BS pops up ALL the time. And a very lot of the state believes the BS. So go ahead, pass a referendum. Then explain to the yahoos that believed the BS why it's not happening. Oh wait, they won't. Because then the dupe won't be effective anymore.

[Bettie]

23. Yeah, but the current SCOTUS

right wingers make Scalia look downright reasonable.

They are likely to do whatever will cause the most chaos.

[lees1975]

73. Legally they can't secede, but anyone who advocates it would not be a patriotic, loyal American,

would they?

So much for all that patriotism and conservativism. Secessionists are insurrectionists and guilty of seditious conspiracy. They are not patriots in any sense of the word.

[Yavin4]

10. At least we can stop calling the Cowboys, "America's Team". n/t

[mountain grammy]

47. True that!

[Justice]

11. If Texas somehow seceded, GOP will struggle to win another Presidential election

The state of Texas has 40 electoral votes in the Electoral College.

Currently have total of 538 electors, need an absolute majority of 270 or more electoral votes to elect the president and vice president.

If Texas somehow secedes, total 498, need absolute majority of 250 or more electoral votes to elect the president and vice president. But now GOP has to do this without the votes from Texas - which were 38 and now are 40 after latest census. Not impossible, but much, much harder.

[Bettie]

25. If TX secedes those congressional seats

get reallocated to other states, so we'd be down two EC votes, for their two senators.

[inthewind21]

38. You think

If Texas is successful in seceding ALL the other states will just stay put?

[Bettie]

43. Oh, who knows?

I'm sure Iowa will try as well, because we are governed by evil f-ing morons.

If they decide to go, they will be very surprised to learn that military equipment and federal assets will be leaving.

[roamer65]

52. Michigan won't.

Province of Michigan.

🇨🇦

More hockey and BETTER BEER!

Yum!

[Stinky The Clown]

45. I should think the TX seats get eliminated, not reallocated.

[Bettie]

48. Again, who f-ing knows anymore?

nothing makes sense these days.

[whopis01]

89. No. They would be reallocated

The Permanent Reapportionment Act of 1929 set the number of Representatives at 435.

That number stayed the same when Alaska and Hawaii joined the Union. It would stay the same if a state left.

Of course, that is a big “if” as there is no legal way for a state to leave the Union.

[Silent3]

12. If it weren't for the good people who'd become trapped in that fascist hellhole...

...I'd be happy to let Texas go.

[Jazz Jon]

13. Fantastic Idea.

It could be arranged. Then all the lunatics from other states could migrate there. They would kill themselves off in a few years and the world would be a much better place.

[Vinca]

14. Uh oh. That means we'd have to spend more money on walls.

[JanLip]

17. Not necessarily

Mexico will pay…

[Katcat]

64. Oh lordy

Glad I was alone when I read that! I laughed my head off.

[moonshinegnomie]

18. only if austin,san antonio,dallas and the other sane (blue) parts can secede from texas

[duhneece]

32. And blue El Paso nt

[roamer65]

21. Open the border with Mexico.

[Volaris]

54. I'll go one better, and offer them Statehood (as well as the rest of Central America)

Minus one or two, gain 5 or 6...sounds like a win win to me.

[roamer65]

83. +1000

[Gregory Peccary]

22. Good riddance. Don't the the door hit you in the ass on your way out.

[hippywife]

28. So glad you're thinking about...

all the liberals who live there. Good riddance, indeed.

[Volaris]

61. I'm happy to have my taxes raised to get you out if you want.

Let them have their fantasy land. The pain of having it fail is the only way they're gonna learn and get it out of their system.

[Gregory Peccary]

69. I'd gladly donate a hefty sum to go fund me to get the innocents out of that hell-hole

[inthewind21]

26. Not. Gonna. Happen.

This comes up every few years. It's a political stunt. And is just as meaningless now as it was the last 50 times it has been touted. Ever wonder why they haven't seceded already? Because they can't! There was this little thing called the Civil War that put that to bed.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/texas/2022/06/21/427421/texas-cant-legally-secede-from-the-u-s-despite-popular-myth/

[Coventina]

29. Only if we close all the military bases, every last federal program.

That will bring them to their senses in a hurry.

No more Medicare, SS, etc. etc.

They will be clamoring to get back in within a month.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

55. Start with the Pantex plant first

We build, refurbish, and decommission all of our nuclear weapons at the Pantex Plant in Texas.

[Traildogbob]

60. And hurricane and tornado disasters

Don’t get our tax help. Let Ted and Abbott pay. Russia is beggin for young AND old men. Haul your guns and asses over there. If we payed for the move, we would come out ahead in costs.

[mountain grammy]

30. Can we suspend their reps

While they work on this? Poof there goes the rethug majority in the House.

The delusion of Texas republicans is laughable

[roamer65]

39. Reinstate Reconstruction?

[Hekate]

33. Texas is surely worth fighting for. The home of LBJ, Anne Richardson, Molly Ivins, Beto O'Rourke...

… the Castro twins, and millions of women and girls whose lives are in danger, and so many others.

[machoneman]

41. Sorry, it's hopeless. We move all Dems out first, then fence the rest in.

[Hekate]

42. Wives and daughters? The desperately poor? You're gonna "move" them all out? And build a fence?

Gods help us all, if a Democrat thinks this way.

[mcar]

92. Right?

I live in FL, in a very red county. The Democrats here are working so hard. SO and I have talked about leaving when he retires, but it's been our home for 30 years. I hate seeing what the right has done to this state, but I also hate the idea of leaving it to them.

Except summers. They can have that.

[roamer65]

34. One positive.

A second hard border between the northern states and climate change migrants.

Texas will even more of a hellhole in 10 years due to the climate exodus.

The extra hard border will help keep a lid on it.

[ThoughtCriminal]

35. Don't make me come down there again.

[ShazzieB]

57. LOL!

Last edited Mon Mar 6, 2023, 09:48 PM - Edit history (1)

That's right, Texas, you don't want to mess with William Tecumseh Sherman!

(Or U.S. Grant, either, although that's not a photo of him.)

[panader0]

81. Sherman.

[ShazzieB]

85. Dang it, I knew I should have checked before I posted that!

But Grant has some major history where Texas is concerned, too, so tha meme would work either way!

[Captain Zero]

86. That's not US Grant

Fyi

[machoneman]

40. I have a better idea! Federalize all current state offices, arrest and indict all current TexASS...

legislators who vote for this abortion, have all former state functions folded into D.C. run Federal offices. Paxson and his crazy boss sent to Guantanamo Bay to await trial at the Hague for crimes against humanity. With luck, they will be found guilty and suffer the fate of the Nuremburg Nazis, hanging in public.

[Bettie]

44. How long has their AG been under indictment?

And nothing has happened with that.

[Bengus81]

46. Go for it asshats!! Can't wait to see DFW shut down,Bush down in Houston, San Antonio Intl

I35,I10,I20,etc,etc,etc........................

[Lonestarblue]

49. How much of his talk of secession and a national divorce is funded by Putin?

Can you imagine his glee to see the US dissolve the way the USSR did after the Cold War!

[WVreaper]

53. As the saying goes

Don't let the door hit you in the ass.

[Ishoutandscream2]

58. And AGAIN, we know this is BS

and will never amount to anything. And to the many Texas haters here, those of us Texans on the Left will continue to love our state and fight for it. We ain’t leaving.

[keithbvadu2]

59. Pay your share of the national debt on your way out.

[Ladythatvotesblue]

62. Let them go...

We'll sell them back to MEXICO!

[thenelm1]

68. Geez, if it hadn't been for federal troops after the Civil War, a good chunk of the...

state would still be hunkered down hiding from the Commanches! (He says with extreme sarcasm.)

[LetMyPeopleVote]

65. This member of the Texas legis is an idiot

Link to tweet

[ashredux]

66. 1. Texas ain't gonna succeed....2. There are a lot of blue voters in Texas. 3. And more acoming in

No state is going to succeed… this is performance art, but the underlying issues are serious.

Just saying, lotta folks trying to turn Texas back to blue. We were there one time we can get there again.

[Liberal In Texas]

87. Yes, this is just another one of the repub nutbag bills introduced in the Lege.

We have to endure this every 2 years. We sure glad they don't meet once a year.

[dlk]

67. For all of its bluster, Texas would never give up all of its federal dollars

Do they even realize they would need a passport to hit the casinos in Louisiana or go through customs to travel to another American city? The inconveniences of being a foreign country would be a rude awakening they’ve never considered. This is just more racist/sexist chest-pounding.

[SheltieLover]

71. Pootin would love this!

[AllaN01Bear]

74. again. well. loose all those big military bases and nasa mission control.

[Augiedog]

76. Good fucking riddance

[Dear_Prudence]

79. Build another wall?

Would the remaining united country of 49-states have to build a wall to keep out undocumented TexasTerritory (TT) immigrants? Once the 49-state federal officers and authorities abandon the TT-Mexico border, will Mexico pull-a-Putin and try to "reclaim" the TT? Have these TT kooks forgotten the Alamo? (I support arming Ukraine against Russia, but I am not so sure about arming a TT. ) On the other hand, of course, Russia sold us Alaska, so could the united 49-states just sell the TT to Mexico? (Just kidding, of course. I love Texas, despite the kooks. My own state is knee deep in kooks as well.)

[LostOne4Ever]

82. Yes give the Dems the house, senate, and presidency

And then we can go in and annex Texas as a Territory (not a state) after it falls apart and comes back begging to be readmitted to the union.

Just needs to make several constitutional amendments while they are gone!

[GoCubsGo]

84. "America, love it or leave it" only applies to those on the Left, apparently.

Isn't that what you right-wing shitbags love to say? Hey, you secessionist assholes: If you hate this country that much, YOU go live somewhere else. Delta is ready when you are. You don't get to take the land for your fucking selves. It doesn't work that way.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

88. John Steinbeck on Texas Secession

“Texas is the only state that came into the Union by treaty. It retains the right to secede at will. We have heard them threaten to secede so often that I formed an enthusiastic organization—The American Friends for Texas Secession."

John Steinbeck "Travels With Charley"

[inthewind21]

95. They

DO NOT retain the right to secede at will. They tried that once already. They failed. It blows my mind how many believe this BS. And how many know so little about their state. Then again, it's not like you learn anything truthful in Texas History. I was born and raised there, it's all fluff and whitewash. Yeah, they came in by treaty, because they were afraid of loosing their slaves.

What caused Texas to join the union?
His official motivation was to outmaneuver suspected diplomatic efforts by the British government for the emancipation of slaves in Texas, which would undermine slavery in the United States. Through secret negotiations with the Houston administration, Tyler secured a treaty of annexation in April 1844.

On June 23, 1845, a joint resolution of the Congress of Texas voted in favor of annexation by the United States. The leaders of the republic first voted for annexation in 1836, soon after gaining independence from Mexico, but the U.S. Congress was unwilling to admit another state that permitted slavery.

On December 27, 1845, U.S. President James K. Polk signed the annexation bill into law and formally recognized Texas as the 28th state of the Union.

[maxrandb]

90. Dear Texas, "Don't Threaten me with a Good Time" - Max

[Scrivener7]

91. Please proceed, Texas.

[Paladin]

93. Oh Glory Be! Yet another Texas-bashing thread!

This 4th-generation Texas liberal and long-time DU member would like all of you Texas haters to kindly fuck off. Once it dawns on all the Texan old-timers that they'd lose their Medicare coverage, the secession movement will once again be deader than Jim Bowie. And how many additional atrocities will DeSantis have committed, in the meantime?

[Oneironaut]

94. Totally absurd and will never happen.

Not only can Texas not exist as its own country, but, there is no Constitutional way to secede. The only way possible would be to declare war on the entirety of the United States, which, no one would do.

This is basically just red meat bullshit thrown to the extremist MAGA crowd, knowing it will either never pass, or, be ignored if it does.

[FlyingPiggy]

98. They're so stupid. Geopolitically, that will NEVER be allowed to happen.

Smdh….they need to move to Russia where they can be with their kind.