June 13 (UPI) — A proposal to split California into three states will be on California’s November ballot.
According to a document released by California’s Secretary of State announced Tuesday, the initiative to get the proposal on the ballot received nearly 419,362 signatures, which was more than enough to get a spot on the ballot.
The initiative has been spearheaded and funded by billionaire venture capitalist, Tim Draper, who said splitting California into three states would “emphasize representation, responsiveness, reliability and regional identity.”
If the proposal passes in November, it would still need to be approved by Congress. And the last time California voted to split — in 1859 voters chose to split the state into two — Congress never acted, according to the Mercury News.
The proposal also has some staunch opponents.
Steven Maviglio, spokesman for One California, an organization opposing the three-state proposal, said dividing the state would be costly and problematic for residents.
“This measure would cost taxpayers billions of dollars to pay for the massive transactional costs of breaking up the state, whether it be universities, parks, or retirement systems,” Maviglio said via Twitter. “Splitting California into three new states will triple the amount of special interests, lobbyists, politicians and bureaucracy. California government can do a better job addressing the real issues facing the state, but this measure is a massive distraction that will cause political chaos and greater inequality.”
But Draper contends that the state needs a change and cutting it up into three parts is the solution.
“California government has rotted,” Draper told the Mercury News in an interview last month. “We need to empower our population to improve their government.”
