AUSTIN, Texas — While it could be argued that Texas is better positioned than most states, the idea of it actually seceding and becoming an independent nation probably strikes most people as highly unlikely.

Still, it’s a drum some conservative Texas lawmakers have been beating for a long time, and no one louder than Republican state Rep. Kyle Biedermann.

RELATED: Renewed Calls for "Texit" Are Growing. Will They Go Anywhere?

On Tuesday he filed House Bill 1359, the “Texas Independence Referendum Act."

Announcing it on Twitter, Biedermann wrote, “Today, I filed HB 1359, the Texas Independence Referendum Act. For decades, the promises of America & our individual liberties have been eroding. Now is the time for the People of Texas to have the right to decide their own future.”

The bill, Biedermann indicated in a news release, is just a baby step and would “allow the citizens of Texas to vote on whether the Texas Legislature should create a joint interim committee to develop a plan for achieving Texas independence.”

The idea of Texas breaking away, or Texit, as it’s been referred to, has been roundly criticized, with journalist and author Casey Michael in December telling Spectrum News 1 that independence proponents don’t take into account the state’s growing diversity.

“They refuse to recognize just how much the state has changed and blossomed,” Michel said. “Their secession project is just a complete fantasy.”

Still, logistical issues and a lack of federal dollars aside, Biedermann believes the Texas economy is robust and diverse enough to stand on its own.

“Thousands of people a year move to Texas to escape the climate of over regulation and taxation,” the news release states. “Texas is seen as the bastion of freedom and a leader of free enterprise, which has built a robust economy, financial solvency, and capacity for massive energy production worthy of the world stage. These are all indication that the Republic of Texas would not just survive, but thrive as an independent nation. Now is the time for Texas to lead.”

Whether the bill makes it to the floor during the legislative session remains to be seen. 

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