Republicans in 2025 Legislature seek task force to study Oregon-Idaho border move

SALEM — A grassroots movement intent on shifting the Oregon-Idaho border some hundreds of miles continues pushing for Oregon leaders to consider its merits.

Last week, a cohort of Republican state representatives introduced a bill that would create the “Move Oregon-Idaho Border Task Force” to document what legislative processes are required to shift the state border.

The bill is the latest development in the Greater Idaho movement’s grandiose attempt to renounce state lines so Eastern Oregon counties, which are largely rural and Republican, can join a state whose politics better represent them.

“The people of Eastern Oregon have made clear they want to explore moving the border and joining Idaho,” Matt McCaw, executive director of the group, said in a statement. “If the Oregon Legislature truly believes in democracy, they will honor those voters’ wishes and move forward on making a border change happen.”

Last month, an Oregon Republican senator introduced a similar, though less proactive, bill intended to invite the Idaho Legislature to engage in border talks with Oregon. Shortly after introducing that bill, the group sent a message to lawmakers by way of a billboard campaign in the state capital. The messages run along digital billboards along Interstate 5 in Salem, Oregon, and implore Oregon elected officials to “Respect Rural Voices – Free Eastern Oregon” and similar sentiments.

The two bills — and five billboards — come on the heels of a largely successful campaign to rally support from Eastern Oregon counties, 13 of which have passed measures supporting the movement. Of those, eight have sent letters to the legislature requesting continued discussions with Idaho.

Not very feasible

While the Greater Idaho group strongly suggests that redefining borders established since the 19th century is practical, outside scholars remain doubtful about its feasibility.

“Overall, I think it is still extremely unlikely to succeed,” said Norman Williams, a law professor at Willamette University in Salem.

Williams published a skeptical op-ed about the movement in 2022, and in the three years that have passed, he hasn’t seen any changes that would clear the way for the movement to prevail. For starters, it would be expensive. Williams estimates it would cost Idaho billions to pay Oregon for the land. Additionally, it’s not an easy task to get every legislative body in agreeance on a project as large as turning roughly two-thirds of one state over to its neighbor.

But perhaps most importantly, Oregon, a state that reliably votes Democrat,  is unlikely to cede an electoral vote to Idaho, a state that reliably votes Republican.

“ At the end of the day, the Oregon Legislature, whose consent is necessary for this, is still controlled by Democrats who are not going to do this,” Williams said.

Even if the movement gained national support from Republicans, Williams said he thinks it’s unlikely it would be more than superficial support due to the dangerous precedent it would set.

“ I think they will understand that while this particular proposal would benefit Republicans, I think they understand that once you start changing borders for political reasons, as this Greater Idaho Movement is proposing, the limits on doing so come off,” Williams said. “ I think even the White House and Republicans would be wary of the notion of, ‘Hey, let’s start rejiggering state borders to produce politically homogenous states.’”

Despite the low chance of success, Williams noted that the movement has started some important conversations within the state.

“ Eastern Oregon, quite frankly, since statehood in the 19th century, has always felt itself marginalized from the rest of Oregon from west of the Cascades and, in particular, Portland,” Williams said. “ I think this current Greater Idaho movement is bringing that sense of isolation and marginalization to the forefront and reminding state leaders in Salem that Eastern Oregon feels like it’s been left out.”

The movement has highlighted funding disparities between the largely urban west and the rural east.

“ While I don’t think that we’re going to be moving state borders anytime soon, I do hope that state leaders, both the governor and in the state legislature, take those grievances seriously,” Williams said.