The Texas Supreme Court dashed the Texas Nationalist Movement’s hopes for an independent Texas by rejecting their petition for a secession vote on the March primary ballot.
The movement, seeking to allow Texans to vote on state independence, submitted a petition with 139,456 signatures, well surpassing the required 97,709. However, Texas Republican Party Chair Matt Rinaldi rejected the petition, citing the majority of signatures as invalid.
Rinaldi argued that many signatures lacked vital information, such as addresses, dates of birth, and voter registration numbers.
The GOP also deemed the petition untimely and claimed it fell short of the threshold for the number of signatures submitted by hand. The rejection prompted the Texas Nationalist Movement to file a case against the GOP, but the state’s supreme court swiftly dismissed it.
Expressing frustration, the movement’s lawyer, Paul M Davis, criticized the Supreme Court’s refusal to examine the submitted petition and labeled it a victory for the Republican establishment. Despite setbacks, Davis affirmed the movement’s determination not to fade away.
Texas’ Brief Independence
The push for Texas independence, known as Texit, has a long history dating back more than 150 years, originating with the state’s bid to break free from Mexican control, then known as Tejas.
The Battle of the Alamo in 1836, a pivotal event in this struggle, fueled the rallying cry of Remember the Alamo that still echoes in the Texit movement today.
While Texas eventually declared independence from Mexico and became a sovereign state in 1836, it was annexed by the United States in 1845. Numerous secession movements have surfaced since then, with a recent call in 2022 by Texas Republicans to decide on secession at their state convention.
Legally, Texas cannot secede from the union, dispelling a persistent myth. The Congressional order of annexation outlined the possibility of Texas dividing itself into five states at a future date but made no provisions for leaving the union.
Despite these legal constraints, the spirit of independence continues to fuel discussions within the Lone Star State.
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