Some Oregon counties vote to consider joining the state of Idaho

(MAY 24, 2021) Oregon has a "rural-urban divide." This means that these two areas -- cities and countryside -- have different characteristics. These characteristics range from geographic to economic and from religious to political. Because of this, the people in the two areas do not always agree on priorities for government policies and services.

Some people in Eastern Oregon -- a rural part of the state -- want to leave the state of Oregon and join the state of Idaho. In fact, five counties -- Baker, Grant, Lake, Malheur, and Sherman -- voted last week to study this idea.

"Move Oregon's Border for a Greater Idaho" is the name of an organization that is promoting this plan. It wants eastern and southern counties of Oregon, as well as a few northern counties of California, to become part of Idaho. In terms of politics, they believe they have more in common with Idaho than with the urban areas of Western Oregon, such as Portland, Salem, and Eugene. Supporters give several reasons for wanting the change: values; law enforcement; taxes; forest management; economy; and representation in government.

“This election proves that rural Oregon wants out of Oregon,” said Mike McCarter. He is a leader of this movement. “If Oregon really believes in liberal values such as self-determination, the Legislature won’t hold our counties captive against our will. If we’re allowed to vote for which government officials we want, we should be allowed to vote for which government we want as well.”

However, it's not easy to move a state border. Both state governments and the U.S. Congress need to approve. Therefore, many believe the effort will not be successful.