Oregonians Seek to Join Idaho to Bridge Cultural Divide

Dissatisfied with Oregon's blue state policies, residents in eastern Oregon are looking to relocate the state's border to neighboring Idaho, where conservative policies align with their values.

Oregonians who are dissatisfied with their state's blue policies are seeking to relocate the border to neighboring Idaho, where the red state policies better align with their values. The Greater Idaho Movement, a grassroots organization, aims to shift Oregon's border 200 miles westward to join Idaho, thereby bridging the cultural divide within Oregon.

The movement's executive director, Matt McCaw, explained that Oregon is geographically divided by the Cascade Mountain Range, which also creates a significant cultural divide. The western side of the state is characterized by a different climate, economy, and urban culture compared to the eastern side, where agriculture is dominant and conservative values prevail.

This cultural divide has resulted in a political "tug of war" within Oregon, with residents on each side seeking to influence state government policies. McCaw emphasized that eastern Oregonians have different needs and values than their western counterparts, particularly in areas such as immigration, taxation, abortion, and gun rights.

The Greater Idaho Movement proposes to address this divide by shifting the border, allowing people with similar values to govern their own communities. McCaw believes that this solution would reduce political tension and conflict within Oregon.

"Why don't we find a long-term solution to allow people who are different to get different policies for their communities that make sense for them? That will lower political tension, it will lower political conflict," said McCaw.

The movement argues that the urban-rural divide has been a historical issue in Oregon, exacerbated by the state's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. McCaw pointed out that eastern Oregonians were particularly opposed to the state's strict policies during the pandemic, which they felt were imposed on them without consideration for their values.

"During COVID, the state of Oregon was one of the most extreme. They closed businesses across the state, they closed churches across the state, they closed schools, they imposed mask mandates and later vaccine mandates," said McCaw.

McCaw believes that the pandemic served as a wake-up call for eastern Oregon residents, who realized that their government's policies did not reflect their values.

The Greater Idaho Movement advocates for moving the "invisible line" of the border to better serve the people. McCaw argues that redistricting is a common practice in the country, and that shifting the border could make sense in this case.

"Let's take this invisible line. Let's move it to where it actually makes sense, where it actually would represent the people and group similar peoples together who want the same kind of government. And let's use it to lower political tension, solve problems rather than make problems worse," said McCaw.

Since its inception four years ago, the Greater Idaho Movement has gained support from residents and local officials. McCaw stated that the movement has won in 13 eastern Oregon counties, which collectively represent 17 full or partial counties that could potentially be moved into Idaho.

The movement's efforts have garnered support from Republican lawmakers in both Oregon and Idaho. McCaw expressed optimism that the conversation about border relocation will continue, as eastern Oregonians deserve to have their voices heard.