Are 30 States Trying to Secede From the United States?

News that 15 to 30 states are attempting to secede from the United States has swept across the social media landscape. Is this story true or a hoax?

There have been about 30 non-binding citizen-generated petitions, but they are not state-endorsed attempts at secession.

While it is true that citizens in 30 states (earlier reports stated 15) have filed petitions on the “We The People” section of the White House website, these are not state-endorsed petitions, and each will require 25,000 signatures within 30 days to merely garner an Administration’s review and response. In other words, getting 25,000 signatures will only get you a response. At least one citizen in Texas managed to earn well over the 25,000 quota, yet there is virtually no chance the petition will become anything other than a symbol of discontent. It’s also unclear if secession is even considered constitutional.

States with secession petitions in the works include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, 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.

Further Reading:
MSNBC
Huffington Post