A 13th county in Oregon has passed a measure that would permit it to explore seceding from the state to join the Republican-led state of Idaho.
Voters in Crooks County approved Measure 7-86, also called the “Greater Idaho” measure, with 53 percent voting in favor and 47 percent against it on Tuesday, as reported by Central Oregon Daily News.
“The voters of eastern Oregon have spoken loudly and clearly about their desire to see border talks move forward,” McCaw said in his statement. “With this latest result in Crook County, there’s no excuse left for the Legislature and Governor to continue to ignore the people’s wishes. We call on the Governor, Speaker of the House, and Senate President to sit down with us and discuss next steps towards changing governance for eastern Oregonians, as well as for the legislature to begin holding hearings on what a potential border change will look like.”
Voters in other Oregon counties such as Baker, Morrow, Sherman, Union, Lake, Grant, Harney, Klamath, Wheeler, and Wallowa have also passed measures similar to the one in Crook County.
“The Greater Idaho movement seeks to move the border between Oregon and Idaho to include 14 full eastern Oregon counties and 3 partial ones,” the movement states on its website. “In addition to the 13 counties that have passed Greater Idaho measures, in 2023 the Idaho House passed a memorial inviting the Oregon Legislature to begin border talks.”
For the border of Oregon to be changed, both states would need to approve, and the United States Congress would also have to consent, according to Article 1, Section 10, and Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution.
The movement explained in the frequently asked questions section of its website that “it makes more sense for conservative counties to be under Idaho governance than Oregon governance” because southern and eastern Oregon counties tend to have more conservative voting records.
