Episode 13: Why Texas Can’t Secede

In this solo episode of Sharon Says So, Sharon breaks down one of her most asked questions - what’s the deal with Texas, and can they really secede? Rooted in the United States Constitution, Sharon will explain the fundamental law of the land and how Texas is bound to these laws through its own state constitution. A few myths are debunked throughout the episode - going back to the origin of the state in 1845 and the creation of its own state constitution. She shares the four reasons why this cannot happen, and why Texas doesn’t really want to secede anyway - Texas will always be The Lone Star State, no matter what. 

Link to Full Episode:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Sticher
• Google Podcasts
• Amazon Podcasts 

This Episode Will Teach You:

• The four reasons why this can’t happen 
• What the US Constitution says about seceding 
• State Constitutions are bound to the US Constitution 
• Addressing the myth that the Texas Constitution says the state can secede  
• Texas v. White Supreme Court Case and the vote to secede
• Origin of this myth dating back to 1845
• Why Texas will not break into separate states
• Fallout if Texas was actually to secede 

3 Biggest Takeaways:

• The United States Constitution is the law of the land, and under the Supremacy Clause, no state can secede from the Union. Likewise, the first paragraph of the Texas State Constitution states that Texas is an independent state, subject only to the United States Constitution. As a final barrier to Texas secession, the Supreme Court decided in Texas v. White that Texas does not have the authority to secede, and reemphasized this belief once again in 2006. 
• A lot of the controversy revolves around Texas becoming a state in 1845, including the idea that the state can break into multiple new states. Texas breaking into five new states can technically happen, but it is subject to rules set under the US Constitution. Theoretically, Texas can break into smaller states with approval from Congress as well as the approval from its bordering states (which is very unlikely to happen).  
• At the end of the day, there are hardly any benefits. Texas likes being a big state. There are 148,000 people working for the federal government, and multiple ports under federal jurisdiction that employ over 1.5 million people. If Texas was no longer a state, that means all of these people are out of a job and the ports would be nowhere near as useful. There are 15 U.S military bases within the state, and having 15 foreign military bases located in a new country is a large obstacle. Not to mention, Texas would have to buy back millions of acres of U.S federal land.