Coming to a supermarket near you: A petition to make California an independent country. And the movement’s origins are in Fresno.

Marcus Ruiz Evans, born and raised in Fresno and leader of the CalExit movement, submitted a proposal — approved by the California Secretary of State this week to gather signatures for his petition. It asks state voters, “Should California leave the United States and become a free and independent country?”

If Ruiz Evans can find 546,651 registered voters to agree by signing on within the next 180 days — the amount is 5% of the votes cast in the 2022 gubernatorial election — it will make the November 2028 ballot.

Ruiz Evans, an Edison High graduate, works as a climate change analyst for CalTrans. He said now is the best time.

“Republicans own three branches of government and the Supreme Court. They haven’t had that much power in close to a century. They have enough votes now to allow us to leave America without any Democratic support,” Ruiz Evans said.

Ruiz Evans said there are enough states that already do not like California.

If the idea sounds familiar, Ruiz Evans tried to place it on the ballot in 2018 but said he ran out of time.

The initiative’s official address is a P.O. box at a PostalAnnex in northwest Fresno. 

Related Story: What’s in Store for California if It Splits From the US?

Many Steps to Secede

If it gets on the ballot and passes, it does not mean the California Republican becomes literal. The initiative would need 55% approval with at least half of registered voters participating to take the next step. That would create a commission to examine California’s”viability as an independent country.”

Seceding would require federal Constitutional action, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

“While it doesn’t make California independent in America, it basically tells the entire world and the UN that we declare independence,” Ruiz Evans said.

Muslim School Expansion Approved

A Muslim school will be allowed to expand, with new buildings, more students, and extended hours. The Clovis Planning Commission approved a request from Valley Crescent School on Thursday night by a 3-1 vote.

The school plans to add a new building and a basketball court, with a plan to enroll more than twice as many students (174 now to 414) in the next seven years. The approval also allows a two-hour expansion of the school day.

The city received four letters opposing the move, complaining about noise, traffic, and privacy. Studies conducted by the school said the expansion would not increase traffic or noise.

Several neighbors spoke in person at the meeting, also opposing the expansion based on noise and privacy concerns. They included Todd Valeri, president and CEO of American Ambulance, who said the school hasn’t engaged the neighborhood about the expansion.

School officials did tell the commission that they did not reach out to neighbors, but probably should have.

The commissioners said the project would not be detrimental in terms of traffic and noise. However, they also voted to return the project to the commision in a year for review.

Alma Antuna, Amy Hatcher, and Paul Hinkle voted in favor. Brandon Bedsted said he supports the school’s mission, but wanted more neighborhood input and voted no. Joseph Hebert was absent.