EDC seeks to be part of State of Jefferson
Updated Jan. 8, 6:40pm:
By Alexei Koseff, Sacramento Bee
Now tallying 20 counties among their ranks, supporters of the movement to carve an independent “State of Jefferson” out of Northern California plan to introduce a bill this session seeking sovereignty.
Organizers on Wednesday turned in declarations for 15 counties, including Sutter, Nevada and El Dorado, asking the state to grant them permission to separate. Six others petitions – which were either passed by the county boards of supervisors or reflect signature-gathering drives – have already been filed.
Jefferson proponents contend that their rural areas lack adequate representation in state government, which has led to over-regulation and environmental policies that decimated their regional economies, particularly the logging and mining industries that historically supported them. Their seal bears an XX, signifying that they have been double-crossed by state government.