COMPETITION FOR 51ST STATEHOOD?

posted by Andrea Kelly

A California politician is floating the idea of splitting the state into two.

If the effort moves forward, that would mean competition between the Southern California folks hoping to form a new state, and the Southern Arizona folks hoping to do the same.

Will there be a 51st state in the near future? If so, will it be Baja Arizona or South California? Questions to which we, of course, don't know the answers.

Here's an Associated Press story on the California effort:

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — Thirteen mostly conservative California counties would break away to create a 51st state known as South California under a proposal by a local elected official.

Republican Jeff Stone has asked fellow members of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to support a motion to bring together officials from the 13 counties to discuss the idea. A vote is scheduled for Tuesday.

Stone says California is too big to govern, which has led the state to raid local government coffers because of runaway spending.

Stone's version of South California would not include Los Angeles County. Instead, it would encompass coastal Orange and San Diego counties, and inland Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Riverside, San Bernardino and Tulare counties. It would have a part-time Legislature and no term limits.