The Idaho House of Representatives approved the proposal on Feb. 15, which also authorized them to kick off talks with the Beaver State about moving the state line. During debates on the bill, advocates mentioned the desirability of applying Idaho law to eastern Oregon as a way to move Oregon drug laws farther away from Idaho's present population centers. They also cited an economic study from the California-based conservative think tank Claremont Institute showing that rural Oregon counties would be a net profit to Idaho financially.
The proposal is based on the so-called Greater Idaho movement, which seeks to include about 11 rural Oregon counties into the Gem State – 63 percent of Oregon's landmass. According to supporters of the Greater Idaho bill, eastern Oregon is more politically and culturally aligned with Idaho instead of the bigger progressive cities in the west.
Such a widespread change of state borders hasn't happened since the Civil War. Relocating the borders would demand the Idaho Legislature, the Oregon Legislature and Congress to all yield in favor of the change. Thus, the bill passed on Feb. 15 in a 41-28 vote asked for formal discussions between lawmakers of Idaho and Oregon regarding this endeavor.
A bill in the Oregon Legislature would permit for these kinds of discussions, but it hasn't seen any action since early January.
Lots of legislative work needed before Oregon counties are annexed to Idaho
Still, lots of work is needed before the Oregon counties are annexed to Idaho. Major policy differences between the two states – such as sales tax, minimum wage, school funding, abortion rights and marijuana – need to be ironed out. The Idaho Constitution, which defines the state's borders and caps the number of state legislative districts at 35, would also need to be amended.
Some state lawmakers expressed opposition to the plan, however. State Rep. Barbara Ehardt remarked there is no reason not to contemplate adding such a vast expanse of land to Idaho. State Rep. Ned Burns, meanwhile, rebuked lawmakers for prioritizing "an improbable plan to help Oregon citizens" while the legislature has not yet settled any of Idaho's 2024 state budget or passed property tax reduction acts.
Podcaster Martin Brodel put in his two cents on the plan to annex Oregon counties into Idaho.
"So, [the] Idaho Legislature passes bill to move [the] Idaho-Oregon border to include large swaths of eastern Oregon. This is great. Yet it looks as though it's gonna be for the most part of or at least half of Oregon. So, it will be interesting at one point here, we could see almost all or a large part of Oregon, going to Idaho." (Related: Oregon counties vote to secede, join Idaho as residents get tired of left-wing lunacy.)
Brodel added the Oregonians are already fed up and tired of being associated with the radical left that rules the city of Portland and drives policy for the rest of the state. He mentioned that last November two more counties in Oregon voted to join the state of Idaho with several other counties having already done it in recent years.
Watch Martin Brodel comment on the Greater Idaho bill in the video below.
This video is from the Martin Brodel channel on Brighteon.com.
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