Umatilla County not on the list of Greater Idaho Movement supporters
By Terry Murry on Monday, July 15th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
UMATILLA COUNTY – Thirteen counties in Oregon have passed resolutions calling to secede from the state and become part of the state of Idaho. The Greater Idaho Movement is calling for a meeting with Gov. Tina Kotek to sit down and talk about the proposal.
Umatilla County is not one of the 13. Commissioner John Shafer says that’s because the Board of Commissioners feel the issue should be driven by the voters, not the three commissioners.
“There was an effort previously to gather enough signatures to place this on the ballot, but it fell staggeringly short of the required number of signatures,” Shafer said. “I think the voters of Umatilla County know that this is a very steep hill to climb.”
Shafer points out that the Oregon Legislature, the Idaho Legislature and the U.S. Congress would all have to approve the border change. He also said there are too many unanswered questions to decide if the move is a good deal.
“There are too many unknowns about what happens to water rights, hunting points, sales tax vs. income tax, minimum wage rates, and other issues,” he said.
Other issues that are not resolved include would Idaho be willing to take over the many state offices and facilities – like prisons and colleges – that are now operated by the state of Oregon. Shafer, a Republican from rural Oregon, said he understands the frustration voters feel.
“I think the sentiment is really aimed at the displeasure of our leadership in Salem,” he said. “If that is the case, we need to do a better job of returning our ballots on Election Day.”
Umatilla County has one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the state.
