The 51st State? South Florida Wants To Become A State

If a group of Southern Florida politicians get their way, Florida will be divided up into two states.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, the South Miami City Commission recently wrote up a proposal calling for Florida to be separated into two states. The northern part of Florida will retain the name, Florida, while the southern section of the state would be called South Florida.

South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard said that northern politicians have no interest in addressing climate issues that effect the southern part of the state. According to USA Today, North Florida has an average elvation of about about 120 feet above sea level while South Florida average less than 50 feet. With see levels expected to rise about five feet in the next 100 years, according to the proposal, climate change will soon have a big impact on South Floridians. 

Stoddard said:  “It’s very apparent that the attitude of the northern part of the state is that they would just love to saw the state in half and just let us float off into the Caribbean.”

A proposal to cut Florida into two states passed with a 3-2 vote at a city commission meeting earlier this month. The proposal will have to get Florida congressional approval before America welcomes its 51st state.