Kyle Biedermann Files Bill on Texas Independence Vote

Is it time for Texas to leave the United States? If one Texas State Representative has his way, Texans will get a chance to vote on leaving the United States of America.

Texas State Representative Kyle Biedermann, a Republican from Fredericksburg, filed House Bill 1359 on Tuesday, January 26th.

The bill is known as the Texas Independence Referendum Act and, if passed by the Texas Legislature, would allow Texans to vote on whether the legislature should create a joint interim committee to come up with a plan for Texas independence.

In a press release, Biedermann said that the bill would not lead to immediate independence. He also said that Washington is broken and that the people of Texas should decide their own future:

Rep. Biedermann said, “This Act simply Lets Texans Vote. This decision is too big to be monopolized solely by the power brokers in our Capitol. We need to let Texans’ voices be heard! Voters of all political persuasions in Texas can agree on one thing, Washington D.C. is and has been broken. Our federal government continuously fails our working families, seniors, taxpayers, veterans and small business owners. For decades, the promises of America and our individual liberties have been eroding. It is now time that the People of Texas are allowed the right to decide their own future. This is not a left or right political issue. Let Texans Vote!”

According to CBSDFW, the State of Texas cannot secede from the United States:

Current Supreme Court precedent, in Texas v. White, holds that the states cannot secede from the union by an act of the state. Former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia once stated, “If there was any constitutional issue resolved by the Civil War, it is that there is no right to secede.”

While the bill may not go far in the legislative session, it's sure to stir up discussion throughout the state.