I have read that. The issue seems to be tax revenues. Oregon would lose a significant amount of taxes from the "productive" part of the state, which are now used to support the policies that come out of Salem.
I would think so, but it would be a bad move to put the "We are leaving" ballot up for votes before you were assured of being welcomed.
Concerning the title of this thread, that initiative was withdrawn in March 2022 since it didn't have much support. Whether Eastern Oregon will join Idaho is on the ballot and even if it passes, the likely hood that it will ever happen is less than zero because it will take approval from Congress and so many legal battles that it would be years at best and cost millions that Eastern Oregonians don't have to spend. Oregon's best hope is electing a great lady of experience that is running on the Republican Governor ticket. It appears she has a chance to beat the Democrats but I think the Democrats have so much control over the voting, that it will be far from honest. All our voting is by mail and there are many ways they can disqualify votes without contest. If signatures don't match even slightly, then it will be thrown out. The people judging the signatures are far from handwriting experts. I wish we would go back to in-person voting.
I have just read that bills have been introduced into the legislatures of both Idaho and Oregon addressing moving the border between the states. One report said that Oregon had passed a bill that would allow Oregon counties west of the Cascades to join Idaho. Another report said the bill had been introduced but not yet passed. That report said that a bill allowing negotiation with Oregon to take place. Interesting stuff.
I will see what I can find out. I would be glad to see that happen even though all the changes would be a real mess.
It worked out fine for West Virginia. They separated form Virginia because they didn't want to join the Confederacy. This would just be an adjustment of state borders, not a secession. Supposedly Washington and Oregon adjusted their border during the 1950s, but it was not as drastic as this is trying to be. Congress would stay the same, as the reps in the moving counties are all Republican. The obstacle would be the Oregon legislature, as they would be losing significant tax base.
They would also be losing a lot of square miles, most of the state, and land is better than money these days. Plus the southern and coastal patriots want to be part of it. Dividing at the cascades is also a contention for those folks in counties that have voted repeatedly to get rid of all the insanity that rules this state. About all that would be left is Lane and Multnomah counties. I would like to see my part of the state called East Oregon and not Greater Idaho. I think we should join East Washington and make one big state. Put the dividing line just a few miles east of I-5 from Calif. to Canada. The liberals have destroyed the natural balance of things in the Cascades and don't deserve to have control of it.
I think the mountains are just a natural divider. I feel sure the folks around Medford would want to be moved away from Portland's control...at least the ones I knew who lived there. I think to make an East Oregon, you would have to create a new state, which would be much more complicated and WOULD affect the balance in the Senate, as there would be two, presumably conservative senators, added to the Congress. The Dems wouldn't stand for that.
It appears that they are still working on the Greater Idaho merger. I just saw this information today. It would still have more to go through before it actually happened; but they must think it is possible or they would not be still working on it.