Greater Idaho movement leaders meet to discuss next steps in redrawing border with Oregon

by CBS2 News StaffThu, October 19th 2023


A Greater Idaho movement banner in eastern Oregon

BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — The Great Idaho movement takes one more step in the long process to potentially one day move the Idaho-Oregon border.

Leaders of the movement met with Oregon and Idaho legislators in Baker City on Thursday to discuss next steps. The Greater Idaho movement has won 12 out of the 12 eastern Oregon counties that have voted on the issue.

The Greater Idaho movement aims to move rural eastern Oregon counties into Idaho. Proponents say that the more rural parts of Oregon are not represented by Portland and Eugene.

In February of this year the Idaho House of Representatives passed a resolution stating they are ready to begin discussions with the Oregon Legislature over how to proceed with the issue.

While the movement has great support in eastern Oregon and even Idaho, there is a long way to go before any maps will be redrawn. The Idaho and Oregon legislatures first must enter formal discussions with the intention of leading to an actual timeline and the formation of a bill that would then be sent to Congress for ratification.

The Greater Idaho movement says that moving the state line would be good for the income taxes of both states. "Portland metro incomes are so high that any middle-income county that departs the Oregon state budget increases the average income of both Oregon and Idaho," says Mike McCarter, the leader of the movement.

This is what the proposed new border would look like: