One of the most "populous" counties in all of California recently voted to consider forming their own state. According to KTLA, the "advisory ballet proposal" was approved in San Bernardino county, meaning that officials will "study the possibility" of leaving California to become a separate state. A new state has not been created since 1959 and some lawmakers do not think the option is "realistic."
“Putting it on a ballot was a waste of time for the voters,” San Bernardino County Democratic Party chair Kristin Washington shared with KTLA, “The option of actually seceding from the state is not even something that is realistic because of all the steps that actually go into it.” Board of Supervisors chairman Curt Hagman is the one who put the proposition on the ballot in the first place. Hagman noted that residents have struggled for quite some time with inflation and "long-running state pandemic policies."
KTLA mentioned that is in not the first time that a county has wanted to leave the state. In fact, there have been 220 failed attempts made to separate the state in past years. Those looking to separate are typically rural, "conservative-leaning" regions. Even Ontario mayor Paul Leon is for forming a new state.
"Everybody outside this county thinks we are the wild, wild West," he explained. The next steps in the process of succeeding from the state will be to form a committee and analyze funding.