California secession finds unlikely ally in Utah conservative

The Salt Lake Tribune

"Statehouse Republican says secession is a long shot but hopes his bill in support of the move would act as ”a wake up call from the state of Utah.”' 

 

As some Californians push for their state to become its own country, they have an unlikely ally: Utah Rep. Paul Ray.Ray, a conservative Republican from Clearfield — spurred by frustration over California’s liberal politics and the “whining” of some of its residents about wanting to leave the United States — has started drafting a resolution for the 2018 legislative session that would offer support for the most populous state to secede from the union.“This is just kind of a wake-up call from the state of Utah that says, ‘You know what? You guys don’t get it,’” Ray said. “They don’t control other states and, quite honestly, most of us don’t really care for their politics.”Ray said he’s still drafting language for the measure, which would recommend tariffs on California, if it became its own country, for the energy and water it uses that come from Utah, the 31st most populous state.“They‘re smoking too much of their medical marijuana.”
— Rep. Paul Ray“They think that they’re owed a lot and they just think they’ve got the power to dictate, but if they really look at it, they can’t function without federal money going into California and doing business with other states,” he said. “For them to sit there and think they can make their own country and they can do this ... they’re smoking too much of their medical marijuana.”