Two counties in northern California have submitted a petition for the right to form a 51st State of America, which they want to name Jefferson. They claim a lack of representation and that their grievances aren’t heard at state level.
The largely rural counties of Modoc and Siskiyou signed the petition. They are located on the border with Oregon and have a combined population of just over 50,000. The request was made to the secretaries of the state Assembly and Senate in Sacramento, the state capital of California.
“People from four more counties — Yuba, Sutter, Glenn and Tehama — will present declarations soon. Once the number reaches at least 10, Jefferson will be ready to rule,” Mark Baird, one of the movement’s organizers, told the Sacramento Bee. However, voters from the county of Del Norte decided against joining the proposed new State.
“We don’t need government from a state telling people in a county what to do with their resources and their children’s education. You are better equipped to educate your children than the state or federal government,” Baird said to round of applause from his supporters.