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A California city has voted to declare itself a "constitutional republic," because the community was fed up with COVID-19 regulations and vaccine mandates.
According to FOX5, the City of Oroville's declaration reads: “Any executive orders issued by the State of California or by the United States federal government that are overreaching or clearly violate our constitutionally protected rights will not be enforced by the City of Oroville against its citizens.”
However, Oroville Mayor Chuck Reynolds spoke with the East Bay Times saying it "doesn't change anything. It's simply reminding people what kind of government we live under and that they do have personal choices and freedoms."
Supporters of the constitutional republic told reporters they were especially upset with California's requirement that children 12 and older be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to attend school.
Despite the vote, schools in Oroville are still largely funded and regulated by the state of California.
Other California cities have tried to take a stand against Governor Gavin Newsom's COVID policies. According to the Los Angeles Times, two towns defied Newsom's shutdown orders and they lost some funding from the state as a result.
For a city or town to truly leave its home state and become independent, it would be much more complicated than a city council vote.