Four rural counties propose moving Oregon's border

Posted December 2020

By Daryna Bosyuk

Staff Editor

The ‘Move Oregon’s Border’ movement has had four rural Oregon counties vote to consider the proposal of joining greater Idaho.

The movement has gained enough signatures to get the measure on the ballot in four counties. Jefferson and Union county voted the majority in favor of the ballot. In Jefferson County, 51.02%, which is 5,655 voters, voted in support of the measure. In Union county, 52.42%, which is 7,401 residents, voted their support for the ballot. Wallowa and Douglas counties fell short to gain support of the vote. In Wallowa county, 49.53% (2,429 residents) of voters supported the measure and 43.27% (26,404 residents) voted in support in Douglas county. The measures voted on were to have their county leaders consider joining Idaho. The county lawmakers of Jeferson and Union counties now have to talk with Idaho leaders twice a year about the proposal. Legally, the counties cannot secede from Oregon without the approval from the Legislature. The democratic-controlled Legislature is unlikely to begin negotiations.

The movement began as a grassroot petition to gain momentum among the rural counties in Oregon. The goal is to have 22 of the 36 Oregon counties and some northern California counties join Idaho to form one state of Greater Idaho. Both Oregon and Idaho state legislatures would have to consider this and then U.S. Congress if all counties actually decide and vote on moving borders in the future. Signatures in eleven counties are currently being collected to vote in the 2021 local elections. If the Oregon border changes with approval from the state legislatures, petitions in California would begin.

“We love our communities,” stated President of the Move Oregon’s Border movement Mike McCarter. “We’re tied to them. It’s just the government that we hate.”

One of the main reasons Eastern Oregon residents want to move borders is because of the agricultural taxes and regulations on farming. Eastern Oregon residents are also more conservative and are similar to Idaho residents while the counties in Western Oregon are more liberal. Eastern Oregonians feel they would be better represented by the conservative leaders of Idaho than the more liberal leaders of Oregon.

“These county votes are set up to send a message to the state representatives, the state senators and our state legislature that there is a lot of frustration out here in the rural parts of Oregon,” stated McCarther (KGW8).

One of the main reasons for opposition for the movement is that people don’t want to be part of Idaho because of the sales tax. Others have pointed out that Idaho’s taxes are lower overall. Some Oregonians also believe that if people don’t like something, they should move. They do not believe it is necessary to move borders. Another issue is that Idaho has weaker social systems, as The Observer reporter Sabrina Thompson pointed out. McCarter also believes that Idaho leaders are “leary” of the movement, but that could change with time (KGW8).

The Move Oregon’s border map of Greater Idaho would only leave Oregon with what is now considered the Northwest region of Oregon.