LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - Since word broke that an online petition was filed with the White House for Arkansas to secede from the United States, many people have been talking about the idea.
According to the White House's website, 25,000 signatures are needed by Dec. 10, 2012 in order for a presidential committee to consider the measure.
Arkansas' legislators are weighing in on whether there is any possibility of a secession actually taking place.
"I don't think this is anything that's going to go anywhere," said Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R - Beebe. "I understand there's some dissatisfaction out there, you know, with the public in regard to how elections went, but I mean we do have elections for a reason. President Obama was reelected."
Rep. Butch Wilkins, D - Bono, agrees that this is likely going nowhere, saying, "We tried that once before, you know, we gathered up our squirrel rifles and went up there and tried to whip some people and it didn't work out. That was one of the worst mistakes this state ever made. I think it's an absolutely ridiculous thought for us to even have for us to secede from the Union."
THV 11 talked with Dr. Joseph Giammo, a Political Science Chairman at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He said that while these petitions really have no weight to them, if there is enough support, the White House will have to respond to them.