Will Voters Vote for 3 Californias in November 2018?

One has to ask the question – are 3 California states in our future?

On November 6 California voters will be able to cast their votes on whether a controversial ballot measure moves forward, in addition to important decisions on our gubernatorial and other political races

You’ve probably heard of the Cal 3 initiative that proposes our California government be divided into 3 separate entities – Southern California, California, and Northern California, or perhaps other names selected by the residents. This initiative has been spearheaded by billionaire Timothy Draper and enough valid signatures were received, over 400,000, in order to get it on the ballot in November.

Keep in mind that even a vote in favor of the split is not the final word on what would happen.

Dividing into 3 new states would require federal approval by Congress. Plus there would be plenty of legal hurdles before getting even to that point, including issues at the state legislative level to be worked out. Think of the impact of those currently in legislative positions!

Those in favor of such a split say better education, improved government infrastructure, and lower taxes would result.

But there is plenty of disagreement and concern about the potential impact of splitting into 3 new states.

Critics are quick to point out many potential issues, not the least of which are political and the shifts in representation. Another example – residents in one of the new states might then need to pay out of state tuition at other California universities. Corporations with multiple facilities in 2 or 3 states could have new and different corporate tax structures.

Our water resources and costs, already a complex and dicey topic, could become even more contentious with new state lines drawn. And would certain California states have an advantage economically, or a disadvantage, because of the particular counties in that new state. The list goes on.

What do you think? Will this happen? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Here’s a good article from the LA Times that explains a bit more about this proposal and what this could mean.