https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/12/08/secession-conversation-returns-with-texas-independence-referendum-act/ News * * * * * * Coronavirus * Courts * Crime * Education * Elections * Environment * Healthy Living * Immigration * Inspired * Investigations * National * News Commentary * Obituaries * Politics * Public Health * Public Safety * Texas * Transportation * Watchdog * Weather * World Business * Airlines * Autos * Banking * Business Commentary * Economy * Energy * Entrepreneurs * Health Care * Jobs * Local Companies * Personal Finance * Philanthropy * Real Estate * Retail * Technology * Top 100 Sports * * * * Baylor Bears * College Sports * Cowboys * FC Dallas * Golf * Mavericks * North Texas * Oklahoma Sooners * Other Schools * Other Sports * Rangers * SMU Mustangs * Stars * TCU Horned Frogs * Texas A&M Aggies * Texas Longhorns * Texas Tech Red Raiders * TV Radio Listings * Wings High School Sports * Baseball * Basketball * Football * Other Sports * Soccer * Softball * Volleyball Arts & Entertainment * * Architecture * Books * Holidays * Lifestyle * Movies * Performing Arts * Pop Culture * Pop Music * State Fair * Travel * TV * Visual Arts Food * Recipes * Restaurant News * Drinks * Restaurant Reviews * Farm-to-Table * Cooking Things to Do * Editor's Picks Events * Free Events * Pop Music Events * Museums and Sculptures * Holiday Events Opinion * Commentary * Editorials * Letters to the Editor * Submit a Letter to the Editor * Texan of the Year * The American Middle * We Recommend Sponsored Content * * Branded Content * North Texas Giving Guide * Sponsored Content | Spanish * Timeless in Texas More * Classifieds * Obituaries * Celebrations Local News * Allen * Arlington * Colleyville * Frisco * Garland * Grand Prairie * Grapevine * Irving * McKinney * Mesquite * Oak Cliff * Plano * Richardson * Southlake Guides * Voter Guide * School Guide * Assisted Living Guide * Parents' Guide to Summer * Parks Guide Al Dia Today's Articles in Print Sections Search * News * Business * Sports * High School Sports * Arts & Entertainment * Food * Things to Do * Opinion Sign In * Sign In * Account Settings * Newspaper Archive * Today's ePaper * Contact Us * Member Rewards Subscribe now $1 for 3 months Featured: * State Fair of Texas * Voter Guide * Boomtowns * Podcasts * ePaper * Your City's News * Obituaries * Content Removal Review * Public Notices Partly Cloudy 86degF 88^deg66^deg newsPolitics Should Texas be its own nation again? Secession talk returns with proposed Texas Independence Referendum Act It would allow a referendum to give Texans a vote for the state to return to an independent nation, lawmaker says. The Texas flag flies over the Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas, Wednesday, May 22, 2019. (Tom... The Texas flag flies over the Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas, Wednesday, May 22, 2019. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) By Alex Briseno 5:09 PM on Dec 8, 2020 CST Republican state Rep. Kyle Biedermann of Fredericksburg announced Tuesday his intention to introduce the Texas Independence Referendum Act, which he said would allow Texans to vote for the state to "reassert its status as an independent nation." "The federal government is out of control and doesn't represent the values of Texans," Biedermann said in a statement. "That is why I am committing to file legislation that will allow a referendum to give Texans a vote for the State of Texas to reassert its status as an independent nation. #Texit #txlege" The federal government is out of control & doesn't represent the values of Texans. That is why I am committing to file legislation that will allow a referendum to give Texans a vote for the State of Texas to reassert its status as an independent nation. #Texit #txlege -- Kyle Biedermann (@KyleBiedermann) December 8, 2020 While this isn't the first attempt by a lawmaker to bring the topic of secession to the table, and it surely won't be the last, this is seen as a major victory by the Texas Nationalist Movement, which has pushed for a vote on Texas becoming an independent nation since forming in 2005. "Regardless of whether you support independence or do not, at a minimum, the people of Texas deserve to have an open, free, fair, public debate on the issue that culminates in a binding referendum on the issue," TNM President David Miller said Tuesday during a video. Related:Can Texas secede from the United States? Curious Texas investigates Abhi Rahman, a spokesman for the Texas Democratic Party, said this move is Republicans showing again how little they care about the country or the will of the people. "You can't claim to be patriotic and file a bill for Texas to secede from the union," Rahman said. "You can't attempt to subvert the will of the people and steal an election from the people and the elected president of the United States, Joe Biden. From Ken Paxton to Greg Abbott to Kyle Biedermann, Texas Republicans are supporting treason. There is no reason these people should represent us. It's time for new leadership in 2022." As for Biedermann, his announcement comes just over a month after he resigned from the Texas Freedom Caucus, a group of staunch conservatives that he helped form in 2017, as first reported by The Texan. His explanation for leaving involved wanting political independence from any group but was also due to a disagreement over who the next speaker of the House should be, The Texan reported. "I feel so strongly about the need for open communication and unity that I decided to leave the Freedom Caucus and not have ties to any group," Biedermann said in a statement. He added, "My goal for the past six months has been to bring the (House Republican) Caucus together and heal the damage caused by Speaker Bonnen and build back the trust that was lost. I believe we need to unite the Caucus in order to choose a Speaker committed to changing the culture of the House." In the two weeks following Biedermann's resignation, Rep. Dade Phelan , a Beaumont Republican, announced that he had enough votes to become the next speaker of the Texas House and was congratulated by Gov. Greg Abbott by Nov. 10. While the Texas Freedom Caucus consisted of 12 members in 2017, that number is now down to eight heading into the 87th Texas legislative session with the retirement of both Rep. Mike Lang and Rep. Bill Zedler and the departure of Rep. Jonathan Stickland last session. As Dan Solomon of Texas Monthly put it last year: Secession is a seasonal conversation, "much like whether to fire Jason Garrett." Though that phrase is now applicable to the Dallas Cowboys' new head coach Mike McCarthy, the point still stands, and the topic of secession has returned yet again. And, as a refresher, no, Texas can't legally secede from the U.S. Alex Briseno Alex Briseno. Alex Briseno is covering politics in Austin for The Dallas Morning News. He was born in Seguin, Texas, and is a recent graduate from the University of Texas at Austin. During his time at UT, Alex interned at Sports Illustrated, freelanced for newspapers across the state and spent four years at the student newspaper, The Daily Texan. alex.briseno@dallasnews.com @alex__briseno Featured * Today's ePaper * Your City's News * Podcasts * Timeless in Texas * Public Notices * Newspaper Archives * Puzzles & Games * Obituaries * Al Dia - Noticias en Espanol Accusations fly as Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins faces lively challenge from a newcomer Member Exclusive Clay Jenkins and Lauren Davis will face off for the top Dallas County job in the midterm... Two whistleblowing Richardson cops say they were frozen out of the department Member Exclusive Were two Richardson police officers. Kayla Walker and David Conklin, drummed out of their... Accused North Texas serial killer Billy Chemirmir convicted of 2nd capital murder Accused serial killer Billy Chemirmir enters during the fourth day of his third court trial... 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