2 thoughts on “Oregon To Idaho”

  1. I wish the good folks in Oregon that want to secede all good fortune but…. Any attempt by a county or group of counties to secede from Oregon would require the approval of the state government in Oregon. Oregon’s legislature would need to pass a law allowing the counties to leave the state. This is extremely unlikely because Oregon would lose tax revenue, political power, and other resources if it allowed counties to secede.

    Similarly, Idaho would need to approve the inclusion of new counties within its borders. This would involve approval from Idaho’s state legislature, which would likely be difficult as it would mean adjusting the state’s political boundaries, government infrastructure, and potentially adding new costs.

    Even if both Oregon and Idaho were to agree, the U.S. Constitution also comes into play. Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution states that no state can be formed within the jurisdiction of another state without the consent of the legislatures of the states involved, and Congress. This means that Congress would ultimately have to approve any such state boundary changes.

    Secession is generally prohibited by federal law and the U.S. Constitution, and there’s a history of federal resistance to the idea of states seceding (such as the Civil War). While the idea of counties seceding to form part of another state is technically possible in theory, it would require an act of Congress, which would almost certainly not happen without overwhelming political support.

    There would need to be overwhelming support from voters in the counties involved, as well as in both Oregon and Idaho. This might be hard to muster because the political interests of different regions can vary significantly, and not everyone in the counties involved might want to secede.

    Secession could lead to significant economic, legal, and logistical problems, such as adjusting tax codes, school systems, infrastructure, law enforcement, and other systems that currently exist in Oregon but would need to be restructured in a new state.

    The U.S. Supreme Court would likely be asked to rule on the issue, especially if the situation led to significant legal conflict. Given the strong precedent against secession (such as the 1869 case Texas v. White), the courts would probably rule that secession is not a valid option for counties or states.

    There are very few historical examples of any political entity attempting something like this. A few notable cases include:

    West Virginia broke off from Virginia during the Civil War, but that was a time of national conflict, and it took place with the approval of the U.S. Congress and the Union government. This situation is not directly comparable to a modern secession attempt.

    There’s been a movement in the Pacific Northwest for several decades, mostly in Northern California and Southern Oregon, to form a new state called “Jefferson.” However, while it has garnered some attention, it has not progressed to the point of actual political action or legal change.

    In short, while the idea of counties in Oregon seceding to Idaho is a topic of interest for some groups, it faces numerous legal, political, and constitutional obstacles. Any actual attempt would need approval from local voters, the state legislatures of Oregon and Idaho, and the U.S. Congress. Given the historical precedent and constitutional challenges against secession, it seems highly unlikely that this would succeed in practice.

    1. Thanks, Fred. I agree that if the seceders must meet all those requirements, it would be extremely unlikely. Various commentators have suggested the barriers to doing this within the state of Oregon are not as severe as one might think, but I don’t know the legal details.

Comments are closed.