Texas Independence, Why are Republicans Calling for Secession?

Earlier this month the President of the Texas Nationalist Movement, Daniel Miller, announced that the Texas Independence Referendum Act had been submitted for filing in the 87th Session of the Texas Legislature. Rep. Kyle Biedermann took to Facebook to champion the bill, “The federal government is out of control and does not represent the values of Texans. That is why I am committing to file legislation this session that will allow a referendum to give Texans a vote for the State of Texas to reassert its status as an independent nation.” He followed the post with a #Texit hashtag.

Discussions surrounding the state’s secession are nothing new. Let’s not forget that Texas separated from Mexico back in 1836 and remained independent until 1845 when it joined the Union. Then, in 1861 Texas left the US too, when Sam Houston refused to swear allegiance to the Confederate States of America. After the Civil War was over, Texas was readmitted and the Supreme Court ruled in Texas v. White that no state was legally allowed to secede.

The secession proposal hasn’t gathered a lot of support from other lawmakers and party members. Republican Party Chairman Allen West initially said that “law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution,” later declared,  “America needs Texas to lead, not secede”.

 Democrat Abbi Rahman even went as far as calling the bill unpatriotic: “You can’t claim to be patriotic and file a bill for Texas to secede from the union.”