Isn’t there a procedure to become a state? Someone or some group of people who live in an area have to apply for statehood, do they need to be a territory first ? Does the US House of Reps appoint the new government leaders or are there to be elections ? I would think this stuff would need to be determined before statehood is proclaimed.
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According to this article (yeah, it’s Wikipedia, but looks pretty accurate), and because DC is already a “US Territory” (of a kind), it can start with Congress. I don’t expect it to get past the Senate. There will be much hand-wringing over that, I imagine.
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My understanding of when the Federal capital area was created, it was specifically not to be in a state to avoid political influence from the state it is in. Our nation’s capital had been located in Pennsylvania and New York previously. The Constitution carved it out of equal parts of a Northern state and a Southern state, specifically for that reason.
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It’s easy, just sign an executive order!
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If it gets through the senate shouldn’t it be approved by all the other states?
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Thanks for the input guys. Been trying to figure out the legalese, didn’t realize DC had voted a few times on statehood. The only requirement I can’t find any info on is if the new DC will be financially stable enough to survive.
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Va. has already been give back it’s share of DC, I would think Md. would like their part back so they could get the increase in Reps and Sens.
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I think there is a requirement for states to ratify a statehood resolution, but I don’t know the votes required to pass.
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Well, they will need a Capitol Building, Governor with administration, State Police with ID making administration, County Sheriff, and Deputies with staff, State Health Department, etc. Nope, they have no money… Marion Barry snorted it all…
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I’m sure they can save money on the State Police and County Sheriff, just put the money in the new state national guard.
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You are right. Any new state has to be ratified by 3/4 of the current states just like any amendment has to be ratified. And yes it is also in the constitution that the Capital of the country cannot become a state or be in a state either for the same reason give in another post.
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Doesn’t matter what the population or area, each state has two senators. MD wouldn’t get any more.
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I don’t think they can require that, I mean, lots of states are not financially stable! 
I really thought there had to be a national vote for a new state, but I am not seeing that on my searches.
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U.S. Constitution, Article IV, Section 3.
New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.
There really aren’t many constitutional limits for admitting new states. Basically, Congress has to vote on it. Interestingly enough, this article was arguably violated when western counties seceded from Virginia and formed West Virginia, and Virginia suddenly had a problem with secession.
If there’s a constitutional question with DC statehood, it comes from Article I, Section 8, which gives Congress the power-
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of Government of the United States,
Thus in the original Constitution, there appears the intent that the Union’s capitol would be in a federal district which is not a part of a state. Because no state is more important than the others.
Also the 23rd Amendment clearly defines Congressional representation for-
The District constituting the seat of Government of the United States
This is because the capitol of the Union is not supposed to be located within a state. This principle is thus found twice in the U.S. Constitution. But DC statehood is an emotional argument, and you can’t win an emotional argument with a logical or a legal case.
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If they can ratify an election, they can ratify a ham sandwich. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know, the truth doesn’t matter anymore nor do the meaning of words. He’s not even smart enough to just make Mexico a state, he wouldn’t have a crisis! If this is to be flagged my point is proven! Some days, I feel like the X-Files, “The Truth Is Out There”
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The US Constitution specificaly sets aside that area for the capitol so It is not part of any state so to make it a state they need to ratify the constitution.
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