unny beaches and cable cars than endless farmland to the rest of the world," according to a 2002 Sacramento News & Review article.
- North California (Orange)
- Central California (Purple)
- South California (Red)
(This map represents the first two-state-split Statham Proposal)
(This map represents the second three-state-split Statham Proposal)
Stone Proposal, 2011
Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone pursued a policy to create South California. The new state would have included the counties of Riverside, Imperial, San Diego, Orange, San Bernardino, Kings, Kern, Fresno, Tulare, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa and Mono. With 13 million residents, the 51st state would have had more people than Illinois. It also would have been a Republican-leaning state. "If you want to live in a Republican state with very conservative right-wing laws, then there's a place called Arizona," Gov. Jerry Brown's spokesman said at the time.
- California (Orange)
- South California (Red)
State of Jefferson, 2013
Residents in Siskiyou County and Modoc County voted last year to join the state of Jefferson. The effort soon picked up support from supervisors in Glenn and Yuba counties. But this ongoing idea actually dates back to 1941. Jefferson would include the rural areas of northern California and southern Oregon. It would have about 423,000 residents, based on the 2010 U.S. Census. Supporters even created a flag and seal for the would-be state.
- Jefferson (Yellow)
Six States Proposal, 2016
Venture capitalist Tim Draper is collecting 1.3 million signatures for a 2016 ballot measure that calls for splitting California into six states. Even if voters approve, it would take an act of Congress to create the new states. But even if Congress doesn't act, the measure would allow counties to work together to create regional governments. The measure would change part of the California Constitution. The Sacramento Bee reports it would also allow counties to ignore state laws that are not funded. Draper says smaller states would be more responsive to their constituents. "California, this is your opportunity to get a better government or a government that's closer to you and more responsive," he said, according to the Sacramento Bee.
- Jefferson (Blue)
- North California (Green)
- Silicon Valley (Purple)
- Central California (Red)
- West California (Yellow)
- South California (Orange)
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This story has been updated