Caleb asks a critical question that many Texans wonder about: “If the Texas government and the federal government refuse to honor or implement the Texan will to reassert nationhood, what steps would be suggested to enforce it, such as a convention of counties?”
The short answer is that counties cannot enforce independence. Here’s why, and what the actual path forward looks like.
Counties Are Administrative Units, Not Sovereign Entities
Counties operate under Dillon’s Rule, which means they are administrative subdivisions of Texas with no inherent sovereignty. Under this legal doctrine, local governments can only exercise powers specifically granted by state law. Counties cannot override state or federal authority any more than a city council can override county authority.
The Texas Nationalist Movement’s official position is clear: the legitimate expression of the Texan people’s will for independence comes through a statewide referendum approved by the Texas Legislature, not through county conventions or other local mechanisms.
The Constitutional Foundation
The authority for Texas independence rests in Article 1, Section 2 of the Texas Constitution, which states: “All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority.” This power belongs to all Texans collectively, not to individual counties acting separately.
Historical precedent supports this approach. International law recognizes statewide referendums as the legitimate mechanism for independence movements. Scotland’s 2014 referendum, Quebec’s referendums, and over 100 independence votes worldwide since 1846 all followed this pattern.
What Happens When Governments Resist?
TNM acknowledges that both Austin and Washington currently resist honoring the Texan will for independence. They obstruct referendum legislation and democratic processes. But this resistance doesn’t justify abandoning legitimate channels for illegitimate ones.
The constitutional path forward involves:
- Passing the Texas Independence Referendum Act through the legislature
- Conducting a binding statewide vote
- Using the referendum results to trigger formal independence negotiations
- Applying sustained political pressure backed by democratic mandate
TNM’s strategy includes a crucial innovation: the referendum bill creates a committee that only meets if the vote passes. This transforms what would be a non-binding vote into a binding referendum that compels action on an affirmative result.
Why Shortcuts Don’t Work
County conventions or other extralegal mechanisms lack legitimacy precisely because they circumvent the democratic process. Catalonia’s 2017 referendum failed to generate legitimacy because it was unconstitutional, while Scotland’s legal 2014 referendum commanded international respect even though it failed.
Legitimacy matters for independence movements. The Scottish referendum was perfectly legal and accepted, giving Scotland ongoing political leverage. Catalonia’s irregular process isolated it internationally.
The Patient Path to Independence
TNM’s approach recognizes that independence is not a single event but a process. The referendum creates democratic mandate. Resistance from governments becomes politically unsustainable when faced with clear popular will expressed through legitimate channels.
County organizations remain crucial—not as enforcement mechanisms, but as the grassroots infrastructure that builds political will across Texas. Real political change happens from the ground up, through sustained organizing and education.
The path to enforcing Texan independence runs through democratic legitimacy, not through shortcuts that undermine the very principles of self-government we seek to restore. Counties cannot grant what only the people of Texas, acting collectively through constitutional means, have the authority to claim.
