Crook County, Oregon became the latest of fifteen counties to add secession to the November ballot following a vote on Tuesday. The political movement seeks for the eastern Oregon counties to secede and join Idaho; the initiative has been dubbed the “Greater Idaho” movement.
Proponents of the movement point to intense cultural distinction between the more urban western Oregon and rural eastern Oregon. The more conservative rural regions have been critical of the high taxes and social liberalism in places like Portland and hope to join the more conservative Idaho.
On their website, the Greater Idaho group explains: “State lines have been relocated many times in American history because it just takes an interstate compact between two state legislatures and approval of Congress.” They further appeal to local cultural differences and how the purpose of state lines is to delineate different cultures.
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This uncommon legal proposal faces several hurdles before it can be accomplished. If the counties vote to initiate secession in November, the Oregon state legislature would then consider the approval of the change via legislation. The Idaho state legislature would also have to approve of their prospective new counties. If both states approved the secession, they would negotiate an interstate compact to outline the details of the transition. Under article IV, section 3 of the Constitution, Congress must then approve of the change.
The change would not only alter the state-level policies being enforced within the counties, but also has federal political implications. Federal Congressional districts in both Idaho and Oregon would be redrawn and reapportioned, and their respective presidential electoral college votes would likely change. In the 2020 presidential election, Oregon contributed seven electoral votes for President Joe Biden, while Idaho’s four electors voted for former President Donald Trump.
With 41 percent of Americans predicting a civil war by 2029, tensions among competing political cultures in the US are strained. While many see the prospect of states like Texas seceding as a more prominent catalyst of this tension, changes in state borders are another significant proposal.
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