The folks in Pima County in the southern half of Arizona have had enough of the right wing nuts like Russell Pearce and Governor Jan Brewer that dominate the state's politics. Momentum is growing for Pima County to secede and become a state called Baja Arizona with Tucson as its capitol in light of the fact the GOP dominated Arizona legislature is cutting public education, proposing nullification and birther laws, and even a bill to designate an official state gun.
Never mind the fact that (ahem) Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is still rehabbing in a Houston hospital after an assassination attempt in Tucson back in January.
Arizona state Senators Paula Aboud (D-Tucson) and Linda Lopez (D-Tucson) , weary of hearing one wingnut proposed law after another proposed a tongue in cheek amendment to attach to a nullification bill that would allow Pima County to secede from Arizona. It was shot down by the GOP controlled committee, but that was before she discovered there was serious discussion about the idea thanks to Paul Eckerstrom and a group called Start Our State.
Start Our State is now an official PAC and has stated (pun intended) that if other Arizona counties wished to join the movement, they would be welcomed.
The Baja Arizona secession idea is increasingly gaining traction even in other parts of the state. Proponents point out that the proposed state has over 1 million residents and at 9000 sq. miles, Pima County is larger than the states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, New Hampshire and New Jersey.
For it to happen, Start our State proponents would have to gather enough signatures to put the question on the 2012 ballot in Pima County. If successful and the question passes, it would then either have to go to the Arizona legislature or a statewide referendum. If it successfully got past that hurdle, it would have to be approved by the president and Congress before we'd have to redesign the US flag to add a 51st star.
Other counties that join the movement would have to conduct referendums in their areas before joining. As for the name of the new state should it happen, that would also be chosen in a referendum, with the top candidates so far being South Arizona and Baja Arizona.
While the odds of the old Pima County courthouse becoming the new Baja Arizona state capitol building are long, divorces are not uncommon in US history. Vermont was once part of New York State before declaring its independence in 1777 and eventually getting statehood in 1791 as a result of slaveholding Kentucky entering the Union. Maine was once an enclaved part of Massachusetts until it gained statehood in 1820 as part of the Missouri Compromise. The most famous example was the western mountain counties of Virginia breaking away in 1861 to remain in the Union and become the state of West Virginia in 1863.
This could get interesting. Arizona is celebrating its centennial as a state next year, but the question that inquiring political minds inside and outside the state are asking themselves are will it still have Pima County as part of the state when it does?
