THE WEST
TUESDAY, JULY 6, 2021
BAKER CITY HERALD — A5
Poll: Oregonians split on Greater Idaho
■ Recent survey of 1,400 Oregon residents shows 34% believe moving parts of Oregon to Idaho would be a positive change
of the move raised concerns
that being a part of Idaho
would entail higher state
taxes and a loss of signifi cant
tax dollars from Western
Oregon and its metropolitan
counties, plus a loss of revenue
and jobs from Oregon’s boom-
ing cannabis industry, which
remains illegal in Idaho.
Some opponents expressed
sympathy for residents of
rural counties who feel under-
represented.
“The rural counties feel
underrepresented at the state
level, and technically they’re
right,” said Clackamas County
resident Hendy Appleton. “But
a diversity of views and values
is important.”
By Dylan Jefferies
The (Bend) Bulletin
Imagine Bend being
Oregon’s eastern most city, a
short drive from Redmond,
Idaho.
“Greater Idaho,” the con-
cept of transferring parts of
southern and eastern Oregon
to Idaho — making Redmond,
Idaho, a reality — is gaining
traction in some rural areas.
According to Mike McCart-
er, the chief petitioner of Move
Oregon’s Border, a nonprofi t
advocating for Greater Idaho,
the change would give rural
Oregon counties a longed-for
Republican-led legislature by
leaving liberal strongholds
like Portland and Eugene —
and even Bend and Sisters —
behind in Oregon.
In May, voters in Baker,
Grant, Lake, Malheur and
Sherman counties approved
ballot initiatives that require
county offi cials to study join-
ing Idaho. Union and Jeffer-
son counties passed similar
initiatives in November of
2020.
Despite those initiatives, a
slim majority of Oregonians
do not think rural Oregon
counties should be able to
leave Oregon and join Idaho
even with voter approval.
And two-thirds of Oregonians
think it is unlikely that the
move will occur.
That’s according to recent
polling from the Oregon
Values and Beliefs Center,
which asked respondents if
they think Idaho absorbing
Eastern and Southern Oregon
would be positive or negative,
if they think it is likely to
happen and whether or not it
should be allowed with voter
approval.
The center conducted the
statewide survey of 1,400 Or-
egon residents, selected to be
demographically representa-
tive of the state, between June
8 and June 14. The margin
of error ranges from 1.6% to
The Greater Idaho concept.
“Conservatives don’t feel like their voices are heard in
Oregon, nor do they feel like their vote counts. Sadly,
Portland, Salem and Eugene make all of the decisions.”
— Amanda Wallace, Deschutes County resident
would have an increasingly
high cost of living and limited
Survey responses
access to state programs.”
Survey responses reveal a
But according to Deschutes
deep rift between Oregonians County resident Amanda
on the issue.
Wallace, the move would give
According to Clackamas
rural Oregon conservatives
County resident Patti Shanek, political power which they
the move would promote sepa- currently lack in Oregon’s
ratism, discourage political
legislature.
discourse and raise the cost of
“Conservatives don’t feel
living for rural residents.
like their voices are heard in
“The main tax base comes
Oregon, nor do they feel like
from primarily Democrat
their vote counts,” she said.
counties,” she said. “If the red “Sadly, Portland, Salem, and
counties became part of Idaho, Eugene make all of the deci-
those forming the new Idaho sions.”
2.6% per question.
HAINES
Continued from Page A1
“The sunnyside bleachers were as full
as we could expect when it’s nearly 100
degrees outside,” said Kristi Bain, rodeo
secretary. “You don’t expect that kind of
crowd when it’s that kind of heat.”
The rodeo performances started at 5
p.m. on Saturday and 1:30 on Sunday,
each running for about four hours.
In addition to the adult events, kids 13
and younger participated in saddle bronc,
steer riding, breakaway roping, barrel rac-
ing and wild pony races.
The wild cow milking and wild cow
races took place Sunday.
“We would like to thank everybody who
sponsored and came out and supported it,”
Bain said. “Without our sponsors and the
support from the crowd in the stands, we
couldn’t do any of it.”
Rodeo results will be posted at www.
hainesstampede.com.
LEGISLATURE
up fundraising committees. As of Friday,
42 candidate committees for 2022 were
Continued from Page A3
already listed on the Secretary of State
If the Legislature doesn’t get the job
website. Incumbents often wait longer to
done in time, a complex plan involving
“revise” existing campaign committees to
the secretary of state, a special judicial
convert to the latest races.
panel and the state Supreme Court will
• Staying put: Former House Major-
take a shot at sorting out the map mess. ity Leader Val Hoyle, who unsuccessfully
• Election 2022 nearing start: Candi-
sought the 2018 Democratic nomination
dates who want to run for major party
for Secretary of State, has said she is
and non-partisan offi ces in the May 2022 not interested in running for governor
primary have to wait until at least Sept. in 2022. Hoyle is among a squadron of
9 to offi cially declare their candidacy.
top Democrats who could vie to replace
The 2022 elections feature an open
Gov. Kate Brown, who can’t run for offi ce
governor’s seat for the fi rst time since
again because of term limits.
2010. Also on the ballot: A U.S. Senate
Hoyle made a political comeback in
seat, six congressional seats, an Oregon
2018, winning the race for Bureau of
Supreme Court judgeship, the state Bu- Labor & Industries Commissioner. She
reau of Labor and Commissioner, plus at has said that is where she intends to
least half of state senate seats and all the stay, running for a second term next year.
state house seats. Added into the mix is a Hoyle’s move so far backs up her words.
slew of local races: city councils, sheriffs, She fi led an early campaign fi nance revi-
district attorneys, circuit court judges,
sion with the Secretary of State listing
county commissioners and more. The
the commissioner’s job as the target of
deadline to fi le for candidacy is March
fundraising.
10, 2022.
• Incumbents all in for Congress: Sen.
But fundraising race already started:
Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, and all fi ve of the
Early electioneering has started in the
state’s incumbent U.S. House members
form of campaign cash. Candidates don’t have taken fi rst steps toward re-election
have to wait for the fi ling deadline to set as well.
Serving Baker and Surrounging Counties
Polling highlights
Overall, 38% of Oregonians
believe Southern and Eastern
Oregon should be able to join
Idaho with voter approval,
and 34% believe the move
would be positive.
Among Oregonians living
outside of Portland and the
Greateridaho.org/Contributed Photo Willamette Valley, 44% sup-
port counties being able to join
Idaho with voter approval,
while only 37% of residents
Some respondents who op- living in the greater Portland
pose the move cited concerns area support counties’ ability
to do so.
that breaking up the state
Oregonians older than 75
would discourage a diversity
of opinions, setting a danger- are the most likely to say that
ous precedent for other states. Southern and Eastern Oregon
counties joining Idaho would
“This sets a precedent for
be negative (55%), and respon-
reshaping other states along
dents ages 45 to 54 are the
color lines and harming the
health of our democracy,” said most likely to say the move
Multnomah County resident would be positive (40%).
More than half of Orego-
Margarette Puckette.
Many argued that unsatis- nians with six-fi gure incomes
fi ed Oregonians already have believe the move would be
the option of moving to Idaho. negative, while some 40% of
“If members of these coun- people with lower incomes
believe it would be negative.
ties want to become part of
Compared to urban and
Idaho, then let them move
suburban residents, rural
there,” said Marion County
resident Janis Sabatula. “Why residents are the most likely
mess with state borders that to say voters should be able
have been there for more than to approve a county’s move to
Idaho (43%), and that a move
160 years?”
Supporters and opponents to Idaho is likely (32%) and
would be positive (40%).
The survey also used ag-
gregated data to analyze the
opinions of Black, Indigenous
and other Oregonians of color
compared to the opinions of
white residents, with this
clarifi cation: “BIPOC residents
are not a monolith; the group-
ing represents a wide diversity
of races and ethnicities.”
According to the survey,
Oregonians of color are more
likely than white Oregonians
to say that counties should be
able to join Idaho with voter
approval (42%) that it is likely
(32%) and that it would be
positive (36%).
Move Oregon’s Border
According to McCarter, chief
petitioner of Move Oregon’s
Border, a key takeaway from
the poll is that no clear major-
ity is in favor or opposition to
the Greater Idaho concept,
because about one-fi fth of
respondents expressed no
opinion.
Another takeaway, McCart-
er said, is that many respon-
dents expressed unfamiliarity
with the idea. He is confi dent
that as rural voters become
more informed, they will lean
in favor, as was seen during
May elections when an aver-
age of 62% of voters across
fi ve counties voted in favor of
Greater Idaho initiatives.
“As citizens of eastern and
southern Oregon, we ask that
northwestern Oregonians
make a decision based on
what’s best for their part of
the state, and leave it to us
to make a decision based on
what’s best for our part of
the state,” he said in a press
release. “The election results
from our part of the state
indicate that we prefer to join
Idaho.”
“We are asking northwest-
ern Oregonians to examine
the benefi ts to northwestern
Oregon of voluntarily letting
this territory go,” he said.
Wyden bill would protect
domestic violence survivors
Madeleine Garcelon, Nico-
lette’s mother said at a news
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden,
conference Thursday to talk
D-Ore., has joined with U.S.
about the bill. “This should
Sen. Richard Blumenthal,
have been...It could have been
D-Conn., to introduce a bill
prevented. Nicolette had a
intended to protect domestic stalking order, and a restrain-
violence survivors from gun
ing order. I sat in a courtroom
violence.
as Nicolette told the judge he
The bill is partly named
was dangerous, and that she
after Nicolette
was afraid.”
Elias, a 46-year-
The Lori Jackson-Nicolette
old Portland
Elias Domestic Violence
woman fatally
Survivor Protection Act bill,
shot by her ex-
introduced recently, would
husband Ian
close a loophole that allows
Wyden
Martin Elias
domestic violence abusers to
in her south-
legally obtain weapons while
west Portland home in 2014. a temporary restraining order
A court had granted her
has been issued against them.
restraining orders and a tem-
Blumenthal has previously
porary stalking order against tried to pass the same change.
her former husband.
Opponents have argued it
After he killed her, Ian
would be unfair to curtail the
Elias took the couple’s two
possession of fi rearms based
daughters, then ages 7 and 8, on a temporary restraining
to his home in northeast Port- order that’s usually issued by
land and fatally shot himself a judge without the target of
as a police tactical squad
the order present in court.
surrounded the home.
The legislation also calls for
“Six and a half years ago,
the creation of a federal grant
our whole world was shat-
program to support state and
tered. My beloved daughter
local efforts to keep fi rearms
was brutally murdered in a
out of the hands of domestic
domestic violence situation,” abusers while they are the
By Maxine Bernstein
The Oregonian
SAIL S THE GREEK ISLES
subject of temporary or emer-
gency restraining orders.
The bill also is named for
Jackson, of Oxford, Conn.,
who was shot and killed in
2014 by an abusive, es-
tranged husband after secur-
ing a temporary restraining
order against him. She died
the day before a hearing was
set for a permanent protec-
tive order.
“Keeping guns out of the
hands of domestic violence
abusers shouldn’t be contro-
versial. It’s commonsense,”
said Wyden, speaking at the
Gateway Center for Domestic
Violence Services in Portland
with Garcelon, Multnomah
County Chair Deborah
Kafoury, County Commis-
sioner Susheela Jayapal
and members of the group
Moms Demand Action, who
are lobbying for gun control
measures.
See Survivors/Page A6
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