The California State Senate recently passed a Democrat-inspired motion calling for the final reunification of Ireland by peaceful means, which should appeal to Irish-American voters in the state.

Introduced by Senators Leland Yee and Ellen Corbett, the bill calls for “Irish reunification by all peaceful means” and urges that the “the California Congressional delegation to support the final reunification of the island of Ireland by all electoral and diplomatic means necessary.”

Almost 2.5 million people claimed Irish heritage in California according to the 2000 census (the most recent census for which figures are available).

In July 2009, the California Democratic Party adopted as an official policy the reunification of Ireland after it was suggested by a clutch of San Francisco Democrats.
 
In May 2010, Senator Yee introduced the bill, which contained lavish praise for Bill Clinton and George Mitchell for their work on the peace process in Northern Ireland, while also name-checking a number of members of the California Democratic Party who had brought forth the idea for the bill, including most of those San Francisco-based Democrats who had pushed for the policy to be adopted by the party in the first place.

The bill was passed in the Senate unanimously.