Ist Constitutional Convention for New California

New California State Executive members open up the 1st Constitutional Convention for New California July 21, 2018 at Harris Ranch in Coalinga, CA. From left to right: Ruth Haring New California President, Paul Preston, Vice President and Carla Virga, Secretary.

For the first time since the State of West Virginia was conceived in 1861 a group of American Citizens came together at convention to form a new state from a pre-existing following the U.S. Constitution's Admissions Clause (also known as the New States Clause) in Article IV, Section 3 to make New California a reality. New California State which declared its Independence on January 15, 2018 conducted the first ever constitutional convention since 1861 in an attempt to form a new state from the pre-existing state of California into New California State. New California State movement has been working over the last year to establish the necessary elements that go into the formation of new state following the Constitution.

The New California State Convention started at 9:00 am and finished at 4:30 pm. There were nearly 150 delegates representing 38 counties from all over California present at the convention. Some of the counties present included Los Angeles (Rural), San Diego, Sutter, Yuba, Butte, Trinity, El Dorado, Sacramento (Rural), San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Orange, Kern, Fresno, Riverside, Kings, Kern, Stanislaus, Shasta, Lassen, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Fresno, Nevada, San Joaquin, Solano, Siskiyou, Plumas, Sonoma, Tulare, Mariposa, Placer, Merced, Mendocino, Lake, Tuolumne and others who attended electronically. Some delegates traveled from as far away as Massachusetts while many made 6 to 9 hour drives to attend.

There were several speakers who presented relevant information regarding the establishing of New California State. In the afternoon session the to be proposed New California State government model was established following the federal model of three co-equal branches of government.

There have been only 4 uses of the Admissions Clause dating back to 1777.

While here have been numerous constitutional conventions as new states entered the Union since 1861 the most recent of which were Hawaii and Alaska in 1959 but both were formed from territories not formed from pre-existing states. Forming a new state from a pre-existing state is what makes New California State unique. The process to make a new state from a pre-existing is all stated in the U.S. Constitution under ARTICLE IV, SECTION 3, CLAUSE 1 known as the Admissions or New States Clause.

Admissions or New States Clause: ARTICLE IV, SECTION 3, CLAUSE 1

New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new States shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.

In all the fifty states there have only been 3 other times where the New States Clause has been used. Kentucky – 1792, was a part of Virginia, Maine – 1820, was a part of Massachusetts and West Virginia – 1863, was a part of Virginia.

Vermont in 1777 was part of New York and was in negotiations with New York to become a state before the New States Clause was written into the Constitution. After a settlement was reached in 1790 with New York Vermont became a state in the Union.

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