Perry Says ‘No’ to Secession as More States Petition White House

Residents from nearly 40 states have filed petitions to secede from the United States on the White House’s “We The People” site since President Obama’s re-election. But one state that won’t be leaving the Union anytime soon is Texas, at least not if Governor Rick Perry has his way.

On Tuesday, the Republican governor’s office responded to a petition to have the Lone Star State withdraw from the U.S., saying Perry opposes such efforts. “Gov. [Rick] Perry believes in the greatness of our Union and nothing should be done to change it,” his press secretary said in a statement. “But he also shares the frustrations many Americans have with our federal government.”

The petition for Texas to secede had garnered about 80,000 signatures as of early Tuesday afternoon, far more than the 25,000 needed to get an official White House response.

Meanwhile, a new petition has been created on the “We The People” website to allow Austin, the state’s capital, to secede from Texas but remain a part of the U.S. The petition also asks to annex Dublin, Lockhart and Shiner, Texas.

Petitions are on the site for the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

And for those people unhappy with the recent secessions efforts, there are also petitions asking the White House to strip citizenship and deport those who signed a petition asking that their state withdraw from the U.S.

According to CNN, the “We the People” section:

was designed to allow citizens to voice their concerns and desires for the federal government, and stipulates that if a petition gets enough support, “White House staff will review it, ensure it’s sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response.”

…The fine print notes the White House “may decline to address certain procurement, law enforcement, adjudicatory, or similar matters properly within the jurisdiction of federal departments or agencies, federal courts, or state and local government in its response to a petition.”

— Posted by Tracy Bloom.