re: #187 Targetpractice

Before you ask, no, this is not from The Onion:

15 States including Texas have filed a petition to secede from the United States

As Gus states, it is not really “states” doing the petitioning but individuals. A State proper, if it wants to petition the “United States”, would have to have its representative(s) bring a petition to Congress, such as could happen someday if PR wants to become a state.