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'South Florida' 51st State Proposal - News Update: Miami Officials Propose Splitting Florida Into Two States; Do You Agree [POLL]

If Miami lawmakers have their way, the Sunshine State will be looking for a new nickname in the near future.

City of South Miami officials cited climate concerns in approving a resolution that potentially splits Florida in half. The resolution, which passed 3-2, would push landmark attractions like Disney World into the new state while keeping Daytona Beach in North Florida.

"It's very apparent that the attitude of the northern part of the state is that they would just love to see the state in half and just let us float off into the Caribbean," South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard told the Orlando Sentinel. "They've made that abundantly clear every possible opportunity and I would love to give them the opportunity to do that."

Political and cultural differences aside, the two areas are geographically floating in different directions. North Florida is approximately 120 feet above sea level while large portions of South Florida, including Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade County, are five feet or less above sea level. The resolution goes on to say that water levels are expected to rise three to six feet over the next century.

Tallahassee, located about 30 minutes south of Georgia, houses the state's capitol, along with many of its politicians. According to South Miami commissioners vying for a 51st state, the distance gap causes northern lawmakers to overlooks South Florida's contributions.

"We have to be able to deal directly with this environmental concern and we can't really get it done in Tallahassee," South Miami Vice Mayor Walter Harris said in speaking with the Tampa Tribune. "If ever there were a situation that warranted the separation of North and South Florida, this is it."

Generating more than 69 percent of the state's tax revenue won't be enough to grant South Florida secession. Twenty-four counties in the southern part of the peninsula have to approve the proposal and Florida residents have to vote before it can reach Congress.

A similar attempt to split California into six states failed last month when the 807,000 signature requirement wasn't met. A random sampling of signatures found that not enough were valid to meet the prerequisite to qualify. Florida's only previous secessionist movement came in 1982 when the city of Key West unsuccessfully tried to gain independence.

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