Two Oregon counties have passed a ballot measure that will require county officials to hold meetings about leaving the state to become part of Idaho, as part of a long-shot movement to expand Idaho’s border to the Pacific Ocean and annex most of Oregon in doing so.
KEY FACTS
Voters in Union and Jefferson counties, two rural counties in northern Oregon, narrowly passed a ballot measure that will require county officials to hold meetings about becoming part of Idaho.
The measure failed in two other counties.
Advocates with “Move Oregon’s Border for a Greater Idaho” were able to get the measures on the ballots, as part of a “peaceful revolution” for more conservative parts of the state to join Idaho, which is much more conservative on a statewide level than Oregon.
The movement would ultimately like to see the vast majority of Oregon, with the exception of the liberal-leaning northwestern part of the state, join Idaho, along with some rural counties in northern California.
CRUCIAL QUOTE
“They’re looking at Idaho fondly because of our regulatory atmosphere, our values. It doesn’t surprise me one bit,” Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) told Fox News in February, seeming to encourage the movement.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Having Idaho swallow up most of Oregon may seem like a far-flung effort but advocates insist it’s more than a pipe dream. Move Oregon’s Border for a Greater Idaho is seeking to put the ballot measure before voters in 22 of the state’s 36 counties, which they hope to garner enough support for lawmakers to take notice, according to The Oregonian. Any potential change would ultimately have to be approved at the state legislative level and then later by the U.S. Congress.
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