BOISE, Idaho —
There is good news and bad news for fans of the ‘Greater Idaho’ initiative.
On Tuesday, voters in three Oregon counties had the initiative on their ballot. It asked voters "should the county cede from Oregon and become part of a future state to be called 'Greater Idaho.'?"
The original goal was to get 19 counties in Oregon, from the east to a small slice of the west, to consider a conversation about becoming a greater Idaho. With a big circle around the Portland area, which would be the part left out, or left behind, and would be what is left of Oregon.
The initiative gained some ground in the beginning, with the first two years seeing voters in eight counties agreeing to slide into Idaho. Those counties are Harney, Sherman, Lake, Grant, Union, Jefferson, Baker, and Malheur Counties.
On Tuesday, fans were hoping to add three more counties: Klamath, Douglas, and Josephine.
Klamath County joined in, with 56% of voters wanting to join the journey of Greater Idaho.
However, Douglas and Josephine Counties voted no. Which means Greater Idaho just lost its proximity to the Pacific ocean.
A greater Idaho without ocean-front property? Maybe it’s not so great. More like like ‘just a little bit better Idaho.’
The initiative is expected to be on the ballot in two more Counties in November, Wallowa and Morrow.
As we have reported before, the initiative is not technically a vote to secede from Oregon. What it actually is, is a talking point encouraging state leaders from both Oregon and Idaho to talk about the idea. Even if both state legislatures agree to move the border, several other things have to happen, including getting congressional approval.
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