BOISE, Idaho — This article first appeared in the Idaho Press.
The Idaho House has voted in favor of an early step in the movement to create a "Greater Idaho."
Reps. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, and Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, brought forward a joint resolution to begin official discussion with Oregon's Legislature.
Ehardt said she's in favor of the idea of moving the border to include some of eastern Oregon's counties, in part because it would add to the state's land mass and available resources. Boyle said that as a representative of a border district, she has seen a problem in Oregon's move to decriminalize most drugs. She would like to move the border to "get those drugs away from us," she said.
We're just engaging in a more formalized conversation," Ehardt said.
Rep. Ned Burns, D-Bellevue, argued that the Legislature had not yet followed through on property tax relief proposals or passed any budgets, but it was discussing helping Oregon's residents.
House Minority Leader Rep. Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, said many of the counties that would be included in the Greater Idaho proposal are low-income with a high percentage of their residents on Medicaid or qualifying for free and reduced lunches; she said the idea would likely be costly to the state. She also noted that, as a member of the minority in Idaho, she has some experience in feeling less represented, referencing how some Republican-voting eastern Oregon residents have said they feel about liberal policies adopted by their state.
The goal should working together rather than "sub-segregating by ideology," Rubel said.
Rep. Greg Lanting, R-Twin Falls, highlighted the fact that Idaho is capped at 35 legislative districts, so adding a large swath of land and people could result in very large districts.
Debate in support of passing the resolution noted that it didn't have a fiscal impact and would only begin conversations.
"America's actually watching, we're not the only state looking to do this," Ehardt said.
The joint resolution passed 41-28.
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