In a stunning move, Republican lawmakers in California have unveiled a proposal that would allow 35 inland counties to secede from the Golden State and form a brand-new state of their own.
Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) introduced the plan Wednesday, calling it “The Two State Solution.” The proposed new state would span much of the Central Valley, Northern California, and the Inland Empire — home to roughly 10 million residents who say they’ve been “forgotten” by Sacramento politicians.
“Whether you are from the North State, Central Valley, or the Inland Empire, life has become harder and unaffordable. We’ve been overlooked for far too long,” Gallagher declared at a news conference. “It’s time to secede from California because of a Legislature that has done nothing to make the state more affordable.”
The plan, known as Assembly Joint Resolution 23, points to California’s size, population, and stark divide between liberal coastal cities and conservative inland communities. Gallagher argued that new governance could free inland residents from crushing regulations, high costs, and environmental mandates.
The map isn’t final — some counties could opt in or out — but the message is clear: California’s political divide has reached a breaking point.
While Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic leaders have not yet responded, history shows such efforts face long odds. Still, the last time secession succeeded was during the Civil War, when West Virginia was born in 1863.
Could America’s largest state really split in two? Or is this just another chapter in California’s long-running culture war?
