Another Greater Idaho Bill Introduced in Oregon Legislature

The effort that began nearly four years ago chugs on.

  A Second bill introduced in Oregon legislature aimed at 14 counties joining Idaho

The Greater Idaho Movement (GIM) has 14 eastern and southern Oregon counties having already had their voters approve joining the state of Idaho. Now, they’re introducing bills having to do with the process.  If it were to happen, the yellow on the picture outlines the ‘new’ State of Idaho.

A growing number of Oregon legislators are receptive to the idea, and another bill has been introduced, according to the GIM:

“The bill, HB 3844, would create a state
taskforce to “document the state and federal legal and legislative
processes that must take place to relocate the Oregon and Idaho state
boundaries…”  The legislature is already considering a bill in the
Senate, SJM7, which is a memorial inviting the state of Idaho to begin
border talks.  The Idaho Legisalture passed a similar memorial in 2023.”

Idaho is on board with the idea, and GIM has conducted 2 surveys over the last 18 months of citizens in the Willamette Valley and Portland metro area indicating at least 60 percent of respondents “don’t care” or do not object to these counties leaving the state.

If the bill were to pass in Oregon, it would still require Congressional approval. Several media and political experts in Idaho are predicting it will happen by the end of this decade.

Part of the reason it could work, say experts, is because unlike Washington state, eastern and southern Oregon are far less populated, and dominated by agriculture and cattle farming operations.

Interestingly, the only eastern-southern Oregon county who has not pushed to join, or had a local vote on the issue is Umatilla County.