Lawmaker files TEXIT bill to spur a vote on secession

TEXIT is back. For years, fans of secession have pushed for Texas to form its own nation. Here is what you need to know.

What is TEXIT? TEXIT is shorthand for Texas secession. The name is a play on BREXIT, the popular moniker used for the United Kingdom’s 2016 vote to leave the European Union. The catchy name caught fire on social media and TEXIT was born.

Why is this coming up now? Earlier this week, Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, filed House Bill 3596 — aka the “Texas Independence Referendum Act.” If passed, Texans would be able to vote in the next general election to chime in on the question of “whether this state should reassert its status as an independent nation.” If passed, a committee would plan the next steps.

Has this come up before? A lot. Texas actually seceded in 1861 in the pre-Civil War furor over slavery and states’ rights. The Lone Star state became a member of the Confederacy, ended up on the losing side of the conflict and was readmitted to the United States in 1870. Pro-secession advocates have continued to bring up TEXIT over the years, usually stemming from some disagreement with some new federal policy. Last legislative session, former state Rep. Kyle Biedermann, RFredericksburg, filed a similar bill, but it died in committee. The idea usually surfaces from some of the more conservative members of the Republican Party.

Why secede? Because, Texas. We do our own thing. But officially, proponents say, it’s about preserving the state’s cultural, political and economic independence. In his news release on the bill, Slaton stated, “Texas was born out of a desire for liberty and self-governance, and that desire continues to burn in the hearts of all Texans.”

Is this even possible? Not according to the Supreme Court. In 1869, the court ruled that states cannot unilaterally split from the nation.