NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – In the latest developments in the effort to form a 51st state, on Tuesday the Sierra County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt a resolution declining to join the State of Jefferson, while supporters went to Sacramento the following day to rally for leaving California.
The Sierra County Board vote was 3-2, which followed a lengthy discussion by board members, opponents and supporters.
That final action followed an initial vote in which the board voted down tabling the matter indefinitely.
While the board of the 3,000-resident “frontier” county acknowledged that Northern California counties like theirs face serious challenges that state legislators need to work harder to address, members nevertheless “also see the benefit of sharing a state government with our suburban and urban counterparts, a state that is the 8th largest economy in the world,” the resolution said.
The resolution faulted “unverifiable petition signatures” requesting adoption of a declaration for Sierra County to break away from California and a failure of State of Jefferson proponents “to prove financial viability or that forming a new state will solve the above problems and will likely never be approved by the California Legislature and the United States Congress.”
“While rural America faces many challenges, we all live here by choice, and often for the lifestyle,” said Sierra County Board of Supervisors Chair Lee Adams. “Both urban and rural areas give and gain from each other and both are dependent on each other. California prospers because of its entire landmass, and is extremely blessed by nature, and I will continue to work within the existing state structure for the benefit of all of Sierra County.”
“We thank the Sierra County Supervisors for prioritizing genuine solutions that will have a positive impact in the daily lives of rural county families,” said Cindy Ellsmore, spokeswoman for Keep It California PAC, a nonpartisan Northern California rural-county based advocacy and political action committee that forced to fight the secession effort.
“Rural Northern California is a vital part of the California economy, just as the state’s partnership is important to our health. We must do a better job of educating, pressuring, and engaging Sacramento legislators. Working together we are safer, stronger, and better able to meet the needs of our communities,” Ellsmore added.
Also on Tuesday, the Anderson City Council voted to table resolutions supporting the State of Jefferson and supporting Keep It California, the group which has formed to oppose the secession movement.
The action by Sierra County's board followed by about three weeks the decision by the Lake County Board of Supervisors to rescind a March 2015 ordinance to place an advisory measure before voters this November asking if the county should join the State of Jefferson, as Lake County News has reported.
Of the 21other Northern California counties – besides Sierra and Lake – that could be included in the new state's area, five boards of supervisors have voted to approve joining the State of Jefferson.
One county – Tehama – put the question to voters who approved leaving California in June 2014. Lassen and Plumas counties are due to hold elections on the question in June.
Voters rejected a measure to join Jefferson in Del Norte County, two other boards of supervisors rejected the proposal, Amador County is doing a financial evaluation with a possible ballot measure, and nine other counties have taken no action when presented with the question or a vote hasn't gone before their leadership.
State of Jefferson supporters are continuing their push, saying the 51st state would offer smaller government, less taxes and regulation, and give county governments more control that benefits and meets the needs of their citizens.
They rallied on the State Capitol's West Steps on Wednesday for a “Declaration Day” event, and reported that they filed declarations with the Secretary of State's Office, and Senate and Assembly leadership.
The movement reported that it intended to turn in 15 new county declarations, in addition to declarations for six counties previously filed with the state.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.