The Brief A California Republican leader is proposing a new U.S. state made up of 35 inland counties. A top California lawmaker is proposing the Golden State be split in two in response to Gov. Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher will propose a "two state solution" that would split the state in two amid the ongoing battle over redistricting. "The people of inland California have been overlooked for too long. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: California could become its own independent countryIn 2014, billionaire venture capital investor Tim Draper introduced a proposal to split California into six states.