AGENDA 21 RADIO
BY Liam Dillon
A new ballot initiative was submitted to state officials Thursday advocating for a federal constitutional convention that could lead to California’s independence.
The measure, similar to one already in circulation that is pushing for California’s secession from the union, would require the state Legislature to ask Congress to establish a new constitutional convention.
“We believe that justice for all requires constant vigilance and a thorough examination of laws and governmental actions that disproportionately impact diverse segments of society,” the initiative states. “These beliefs depend on resolutely defending these Californian values, which support every individual’s hopes and dreams for the future.”
The initiative has been submitted to Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra for an official title and summary, a necessary step before supporters can collect signatures to put the measure on the 2018 ballot. Once that happens, backers would have to gather nearly 600,000 signatures in 180 days.
This is the third official effort this year to try to make California an independent state, a push known informally as “Calexit.” Supporters of another measure, which would direct California’s governor to negotiate more autonomy from the federal government, already have been cleared to collect signatures. A more aggressive measure to ask for independence immediately has been abandoned.
The group behind this most recent measure calls itself California Constitutional Convention Initiative Team. One of its backers is Marcus Ruiz Evans, who has been involved in California secessionist causes since 2012 and calls himself the founder of the Calexit movement.
The measure says a reworked Constitution should include a provision creating a “clear and reasonable path for states to achieve complete independence from the United States should any state so choose.” No state has become independent under the existing U.S. Constitution.
“The world has changed dramatically since 1787,” reads the preamble of the California Calls for a Constitutional Convention, or “Cal Con Con.”
Thursday’s measure is the latest attempt at using the ballot box to revamp California’s relationship with the federal government. A “CalExit” proposal set a timeline for votes on independence, which fizzled. A measure filed this spring seeks more autonomy, and possible independence.
The Cal Con Con team includes Marcus Ruiz Evans, who was vice president of Yes California that crafted Calexit I. He resigned this spring when the effort petered out, saying that movement’s leader, Louis J. Marinelli, had become a distraction because of his ties to Russia.
