The bill, which state representative Slaton shared on Twitter, is officially called the ‘Texas Independence Referendum Act’, or ‘Texit’ for short.
If passed, a referendum on whether Texas should “reassert its status as an independent nation” will be held on November 7, 2023.
Slaton wrote that under the Texas constitution, “all political power rests in the hands of the people.”
“After decades of continued abuse of our rights and freedoms by the federal government, it’s time to let the people of Texas have their voices heard,” he said.
State’s bid to secede is not the first
Republicans Kyle Biedermann and Jeff Cason introduced a similar bill in 2021.
“The federal government[the US central government]is out of control and does not represent the values of Texans,” Biedermann said at the time, “so I am committed to enacting this resolution that will allow a referendum for the State of Texas to re-defend its independent status.”
Slaton recalled that this initial offer was not accepted.
Texas isn’t the only US state where certain groups are vying for independence.
Alaska, California, Hawaii, New Hampshire, and Vermont also have moves to secede from the United States.