For a State Constitutional Convention to Establish the California Confederation

Petition for a State Constitutional Convention to Establish the California Confederation
To: The California State Legislature and Governor’s Office
Subject: Proposal for a State Constitutional Convention to Rename and Restructure California as the “California Confederation”

We, the undersigned citizens and residents of California, hereby petition the state legislature to convene a State Constitutional Convention for the following purposes outlined below. Given California’s substantial population and economy, we believe it is time to recognize our state as a de facto nation-state and implement a more equitable and effective system of governance.

1. Name Change:
   We propose renaming the state to “California Confederation” to reflect our unique status and aspirations as a self-governing entity.
2. Regional Division:
   California Confederation shall be divided into seven distinct regions, each encompassing multiple counties. Each region will have the following governance structure:
   – Regional Governor
   – Regional Lieutenant Governor
   – Regional Assembly
   Each Regional Assembly will have the same powers as the current state government except for the enumerated rights retained by the state government. This includes incorporating proportional representation for all Assembly votes to dismantle the current political duopoly.
3. Decentralized Governance:
   All state agencies will devolve powers to regional levels, with the exception of the following statewide law enforcement agencies, which will continue under the control of Sacramento:
   – National Guard
   – California Highway Patrol
   – Administration of the prison system
   The regions will have authority over issues including drug enforcement, gun control, and tax regulations, while retaining state control over fundamental human rights issues as defined in the following section.
4. Fundamental Human Rights:
   Fundamental human rights that remain under the jurisdiction of Sacramento include:
   – Healthcare and abortion access
   – Civil and LGBTQ rights
   – Education (K-12 and higher)
   – Voting rights
   – Regulation of prisons
   – Water rights
   – Housing
   – Food
   – Wildfire management
   – Public transportation
5. Legislative Restructuring:
   We propose dissolving the State Senate and enlarging the State Assembly to comprise 440 members to align with California’s population size relative to Canada. The reformed Assembly will focus solely on legislation related to fundamental human rights and maintain oversight of the state bureaucracy without the authority to impose statewide income tax.
6. Board of Directors:
   We propose establishing an elected Board of Directors, composed of 7 members who will act in the capacity of the current State Executive Branch. The State Assembly will assign government portfolios to each Director, functioning similarly to the Swiss Federal Council.
7. Chair and Vice Chair Positions:
   We propose creating a ceremonial Chair position to replace the Governor. Responsibilities include:
   – Representing the state
   – Nominating judicial members
   – Issuing pardons and commutations
   – Referring legislation to the State Supreme Court for judicial review
   The Chair will rotate annually among the Board of Directors, with a Vice Chair serving in a supportive role.
8. Proposed Regions of California:
   The proposed regions for the California Confederation are as follows:
   – Jefferson: Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, Trinity
   – North California: Amador, El Dorado, Marin, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Yolo, Yuba
   – Silicon Valley: Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz
   – Central California: Alpine, Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne
   – East California: Riverside, San Bernardino, Inyo, Alpine, Mono
   – West California: Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura
   – South California: Imperial, Orange, San Diego

Conclusion

We the undersigned urge our state leaders to recognize the necessity of these changes and to convene a State Constitutional Convention to discuss the establishment of the California Confederation. We believe this new governance model will better serve the diverse needs of our residents and reflect our status as a significant economic and cultural powerhouse.