Florida, other state secession petitions due White House response

We told you last month about the state seccession petitions that popped up on the White House's "We the People" website shortly after President Barack Obama won re-election. The window to garner enough signatures to warrant a White House response passed this week for most of these petitions; Florida and other states met the mark.

Petitions must have at least 25,000 signatures within 30 days of their submission.  The New Yorker reported that petitions were filed on behalf of all 50 states, but only eight met the threshold needed for a response. Here is that list and the number of signatures the petitions have received as of this blog posting:

-Texas, 119, 617
-Louisiana, 37,430
-Florida, 35,310
-Georgia, 32, 448
-Tennessee, 31,479
-North Carolina, 30,808
-Alabama, 30,580
-South Carolina, 25,064

It has taken the White House several months to respond to other petitions that also passed the threshold. We asked a White House spokeswoman whether there will be a blanket response for all the state petitions and when the White House would get around to addressing the petitions. 

We didn't get a response, but we know these petitions are keeping the Obama administration busy. For example, it also must come up with a response to this petition with 26,734 signatures: "Deport Everyone That Signed A Petition To Withdraw Their State From The United States Of America."

Even without an official White House response, it has been widely reported that states have no legal right to secede from the union.

It has taken the White House several months to respond to other petitions that also passed the threshold. We asked a White House spokeswoman whether there will be a blanket response for all the state petitions and when the White House would get around to addressing the petitions. 

We didn't get a response, but we know these petitions are keeping the Obama administration busy. For example, it also must come up with a response to this petition with 26,734 signatures: "Deport Everyone That Signed A Petition To Withdraw Their State From The United States Of America."

Even without an official White House response, it has been widely reported that states have no legal right to secede from the union.