A group called "Move Oregon's Border" is attempting to join Oregon's rural counties with Idaho.
Now, why would they want to go and do a thing like that? 🤔
Mike McCarter, a lifelong Oregonian has been leading this effort for two years. He told Fox News that he and many others are eager to "get out from underneath the chokehold of Northwestern Oregon."
McCarter told Fox News,
"We've watched the shift take place in Oregon politics where the primary concern of the Legislature is Northwest Oregon. That's where 78% of the state's population is based. They tend to forget that every law that you pass in the state affects us out in the rural economies, too."
Joining Idaho has other benefits including lower taxes and more regulatory freedom. McCarter pointed out a recently passed law which made Oregon the first state to decriminalize possession of hard drugs, telling Fox:
"Now you look and you say, 'well, if you're homeless, if you're a hard drug user, if you're a rioter, if you're an illegal, come to Oregon - we're a sanctuary state and you won't get in trouble. Idaho is not a sanctuary state at all, and they want to protect their citizens. That's comforting, to live in a state like that who enforces the laws and not let the lawbreakers go free."
The "Move Oregon's Borders" group has made progress bringing attention and support to this border change move. The final decision lies with Oregon and Idaho State legislatures. The group hopes that 19 of Oregon's southern and eastern counties secede to become "Greater Idaho."
Move Oregon's Border will continue collecting signatures for the May 2021 local elections in 11 other counties.
At this rate, soon Portland will be the only city left in Oregon.