1. United States
2. Ga.
3. Letter

As a proud Atlanta native, I wanted to introduce you to the “Utahism” movement, which proposes rethinking state borders to better reflect modern economic and cultural realities. The United States has changed dramatically since state lines were first drawn, yet we continue to govern with outdated borders that divide economic hubs, dilute representation, and complicate governance. Atlanta, a major cultural and economic powerhouse, is tied politically to rural South Georgia and the Appalachian region, areas with vastly different priorities. This misalignment leads to inefficient policy-making and underrepresentation. State borders should be based on people, geography, and shared identity, rather than arbitrary lines drawn during colonization or territorial disputes. This issue extends beyond Georgia. Across the country, borders split communities in ways that make little sense. The New York City and DC metro areas span multiple states, leading to inconsistent infrastructure, taxation, and governance, despite being functionally unified regions. Northern New Jersey alone has two major metro areas, both divided between three states. Why should New York commuters in New Jersey be governed separately from their Manhattan coworkers while rural voters upstate share a governor with the city? These outdated borders create inefficiencies and economic disorganization. Some states, like Texas and California, are simply too large and diverse to be effectively governed as single entities. Their urban tech hubs and rural agricultural regions have conflicting needs, leading to diluted representation and policy gridlock. If state lines were redrawn to reflect real economic and cultural regions, governance would be more efficient, responsive, and fair. Regional identities also deserve protection. Louisiana’s borders do not fully encompass the Louisiana French Creole and Cajun communities, leaving them politically disconnected. In regions with majority Spanish speakers, state-level governance could be conducted in Spanish if borders aligned with actual cultural communities instead of being dictated by massive, sprawling states like Texas. By realigning state borders to reflect modern realities, we could streamline policy, improve infrastructure coordination, and allow local economies to thrive. While this idea would require significant cooperation among states, it offers a pragmatic solution to outdated infrastructure and regional underrepresentation. I encourage you to explore the “Utahism” movement and bring this conversation to the national level. More information is available at www.utahism.org. While this won’t be an easy change, realigning governance to better reflect regional identities and economies would be a meaningful step toward a more effective and representative system for the future. Thank you for your time, and I hope to see these ideas gain attention at the legislative level.