Instapundit links to a report at the Legal Insurrection website concerning the progress made by the conservatives in eastern and southern Oregon who wish to secede from liberal OR and become part of conservative Idaho. So far 11 counties have voted to make the move, and a twelfth has scheduled a vote on it.
Normally such efforts are stymied by the opposition of a state’s majorities. That may not happen in this case, for an interesting reason. As you read the following, be aware that “northwestern Oregon” is where most of the state’s Democrat majority lives and the largest cities are located.
A January 2022 SurveyUSA poll showed that 68% of northwestern Oregon voters thought that the Oregon Legislature should hold hearings on the idea, and only 20% opposed.
The poll also found that a mere three percent of such voters think keeping eastern and southern Oregon in the state is worth the cost. The movement estimates the cost at $500 per northwestern Oregonian wage earner annually.
If the secession movement should succeed - a remote possibility at this juncture - I can imagine eastern Washington wishing to follow suit. If that should succeed as well, the resulting “super Idaho” would be a very large state. What’s unclear is whether Idaho wants to pick up the costs OR would shed.
