This article comes from KREM2 – Spokane Valley Reps introduce bill to create ‘Liberty State’ in Eastern Washington
Two Representatives to the State legislature out of Spokane Valley introduced a bill on Monday to create “Liberty State,” which would separate Eastern and Western Washington.
Liberty State’s western border would be along the “crest of the Cascade mountains and the western 8 borders of Okanogan, Chelan, Kittitas, Yakima, and Klickitat counties,” according to the bill. The eastern, northern and southern borders would remain the same.
The bill also outlines transition committees that would aid in the new state’s creation and set up representation for the new government.
Representatives Bob McCaslin and Rob Chase wrote the bill…
Both the Washington State Legislature and Congress would have to approve of the creation of the new state.
From libertystate.org:
The Liberty State Movement is an effort to create a new state from Washington State based upon political and geographic lines. Since the formation of Washington State in 1889, people of the eastern and rural parts of Washington State have felt separate from the western capitol in Olympia. As our economies and beliefs grew in separate directions, the chasm has deepened and left Western Washington holding all of the political representation, with little regard or accountability to eastern residents. The current proposal to create Liberty State would draw the boundary down the Cascade Crest. Those counties to the west would remain Washington State, and those counties to the east would be a new state…
Recently, the state legislature has shown a willingness to operate without regard for the powers given, or rights protected in, the Washington State or United States Constitution. The east side is predominantly rural and the west is predominantly urban, with vastly different cultures. There is nothing wrong with either. However, this population disparity has allowed the urban majority to determine nearly every vote. Thus, the rural side of the state is failing to be represented on every major issue in the last thirty years. On the other side, legislation dear to the urban majority has been hampered to the consternation of many in Seattle. Tax limitations have been passed, also hampering mass transit and raising the ire of many in the urban core. The Founders believed that the best representation was closest to the people. Indeed, with a new state, both east and west would be better represented.
Lower Valley Assembly 