NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The effort to create a 51st state from parts of Northern California hit another obstacle on Tuesday, although supporters are indicating they are pressing on and still making progress.
Measure G, which asked Lassen County voters if they wanted to separate from California and join the State of Jefferson movement, was rejected 58 to 42 percent, based on preliminary election results.
Lassen was reported to be the only remaining county to include the question of separation from the state on their ballot.
“All across the board, the politics of fear were rejected by the politics of hope and the ‘Jeffersonians’ were soundly trounced,” said Lassen County Board of Supervisors Chair Jim Chapman.
With the defeat in Lassen County, “They have no coastline on the west and have lost half of their border with Nevada,” Chapman said.
“We applaud the tremendous local grassroots effort to counter Measure G, as well as Lassen County voters for recognizing Measure G was misguided. The plan would leave the county financially devastated and severely at-risk, and Lassen families more vulnerable,” said Keep It California Chair Cindy Ellsmore.
She added, “There are certainly challenges, but increasing our region’s influence in Sacramento can only be accomplished through collaborative advocacy, focused education, and bridge-building. We look forward to working with Lassen County leaders and communities to make our voice louder in Sacramento, and improve life for all Northern California families.”
The defeat of Measure G was the latest development in the Jefferson movement, which has been debated in counties across Northern California over the last several years.
In April, an advisory vote on joining the State of Jefferson failed to qualify for the November ballot in Nevada County.
In December, the Lake County Board of Supervisors rescinded a resolution to place a State of Jefferson advisory vote on the November ballot, with the Plumas County Board of Supervisors taking similar action in January.
Del Norte's voters rejected joining the State of Jefferson, and the boards of supervisors of Alpine, Shasta, Sierra and Trinity would not approve a resolution supporting the new state.
In Tehama County, voters approved joining Jefferson, and the supervisors in Glenn, Modoc, Siskiyou, Sutter and Yuba also were supportive of separation resolutions.
In several more counties that would be included in the outline of the new state – Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Humboldt, Mendocino, Placer and Tuolumne – no formal action by county boards has been reported.
However, State of Jefferson proponents appear to be pushing forward.
Earlier this year, hundreds of State of Jefferson supporters went to Sacramento to rally and submit declarations for 21 out of 23 counties in the proposed new state's territory. Those counties include Lake and other counties that have turned down joining the effort, according to a map on the State of Jefferson Web site.
The two counties not included are Del Norte and Humboldt, with the latter reported to have working support committees.
Despite the more recent setbacks, the State of Jefferson Party reported on its Facebook page that it intends to hold the first Jefferson formation assembly on July 23 in Live Oak.
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.
State of Jefferson update: Lassen County residents vote down joining Jefferson, supporters plan assembly
- Elizabeth Larson
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