Oregon’s 13th county has passed a bill that would allow it to move forward with its efforts to secede from the state and join Republican-controlled Idaho.
Crooks County voters passed Measure 7-86, also known as the “Greater Idaho” measure, on Tuesday by a vote of 53 percent to 47 percent. according to Go to Central Oregon Daily News.
Matt McCaw, executive director of Greater Idaho, said in a statement that there is “no longer any excuse” for the Oregon Legislature and Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek to “continue to ignore the wishes of the people.”
“The voters of Eastern Oregon have made loud and clear their desire to move forward on border negotiations,” McCaw said in a statement. “With these latest results in Crook County, there is no longer any excuse for the Legislature and the Governor to continue to ignore the wishes of the people of Oregon. We urge you to discuss next steps to make a change, and for the state Legislature to begin public hearings on potential border changes.”
oregon voters county Baker, Morrow, Sherman, Union, Lake, Grant, Harney, Klamath, Wheeler and Wallowa counties also passed bills similar to the one passed in Crook County.
If successful, the Oregon state line would move 200 miles west from its current location.
“The Greater Idaho Movement seeks to shift the Oregon-Idaho border to include 14 counties and three partial counties in eastern Oregon,” the movement said in the report. Website“In addition to the 13 counties that have passed Greater Idaho legislation, the Idaho Legislature passed a bill in 2023 calling on the Oregon Legislature to begin border negotiations.”
Moving Oregon’s borders would require approval from both states, as well as approval and consideration from the U.S. Congress. according to Article 1, Section 10, and Article 4Article III of the United States Constitution.
movement explained The website’s frequently asked questions section states that “it makes more sense for conservative counties to be governed by Idaho rather than Oregon” because southern and eastern Oregon counties have more conservative voting records.
