Secession Accelerates in America

The Idaho House has passed a bill in favor of Greater Idaho. Parts of Oregon have voted to join "Greater Idaho" and the Idaho House welcomes them.

Even if this bill passes the Senate and is approved by the Governor, and even if Oregon agrees, it then goes to the Congress. There's reason to think this can pass Congress though: it won't affect the Senate. A lot of secession plans won't get off the ground because they change the make-up of the Senate, but this plan is mainly moving lines on a map.

Another factor working in favor of this secession attempt is that, as the vote shows, the neighboring state welcomes the addition. Adding a huge rural area doesn't bring much to Idaho, but because Oregon has permissive drug laws, it would move the border from under an hour from Boise to more like 5 hours away.

HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 1

OREGON AND IDAHO BORDERS – States findings of the Legislature and resolves that the Idaho Legislature stands ready to begin discussions with the Oregon Legislature regarding the potential to relocate the Oregon/Idaho state boundary.

If Greater Idaho succeeds, it leaves a small rump of a state of Oregon with under 4 million in population. There are many places such as New York where a split is far more compelling with larger populations and economies at stake.

The problem for most secession plans is the local economy and national politics. Rural areas are poor. Most are subsidized by urban (corporate) taxpayers. As noted with the New York plan, instead of foregoing Wall Street revenue, upstate wants some type of reveue share. If a tax-eating area offers to leave, it has a far stronger offer for the rest of the state. At the national level, any plan that causes a shift in the U.S. Senate will meet resistance. Democrats push for DC statehood while in power because it gives them 2 more Senators. With the country split nearly 50-50 at the moment, any plan that gives one party an advantage will be opposed. Secession movements have to plan for this or they will go nowhere. With Greater Idaho, the main opposition will come from Oregon itself, followed by Congress who might oppose it simply because people fear "who's next?" If Oregon and Idaho can redraw the map, why not every state where there is agreement?