12. Oregon County Seeks Succession to Idaho

Wallowa County, eastern Oregon A petition was submitted in order to force a ballot initiative for 2023, which would see the county move out of Democrat-led Oregon and into GOP-led Idaho This is part of Greater Idaho movement This was aimed at “relocate the Oregon/Idaho border to make both states better.”

According to Greater Idaho’s websiteMatt McCaw, the spokesperson for Greater Idaho, stated that “Two major statewide ballot measures got 51 percent of the vote last month. That means eastern Oregon came within one percentage point of vetoing them. Western Oregon would be free of our interference if they stopped holding eastern Oregon captive and let our communities join Idaho.”

Wallowa is the 12th Oregon County to have voted to become part of Idaho. The County Clerk will place the initiative on the May 2023 Wallowa County election ballot if the petition receives enough signatures. Greater Idaho proposed the ballot measure and it has been voted on by eleven counties. 

To officially move counties from one state to the next, it would be necessary for the legislatures of Idaho, Oregon, or the US Congress to do so.

In November, Tina Kotek (Democrat) was elected Governor of Oregon in a tight election that saw Christine Drazen (GOP nominee) win.

McCarter stated, according to Daily Mail “If western Oregon doesn’t like the risk of being forced to accept the gubernatorial candidate it voted against, then it should simply stop holding our counties captive in this unhappy marriage.”

“Actually, it’s not even as dramatic as a divorce because we’re not breaking up a family. Moving a state border is similar to redistricting a utility provider,” McCarter was also added.

McCraw stated that there are a number of opportunities in Greater Idaho. “two cultures” Oregon, where he cited a gun control measure as an example.

“If Oregon had let Harney County go when it voted for our measure, then a Harney County judge wouldn’t have blocked Oregon’s gun control initiative from going into effect statewide. Now his injunction might stand for a couple years while he decides the case. Harney County is ranchland, and Portland is not. It doesn’t make sense for these two cultures to be dictating policy to each other,” McCaw added.

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