Leaders of East Oregon bid to secede and join Idaho thinks movement could go nationwide

The leader of east Oregon‘s plan to leave liberal Portland behind and join conservative Idaho is moving fast.

Mike McCarter has a $70,000 budget for lobbyists in the two states, has seen allies introduce legislation in Oregon last month and has a bill ready to go in Idaho that would accelerate discussions for 15 counties to jump the border.

If it works, he says other red counties will have a model for how to dump their urban, Democratic rulers.

Oregon is unlikely to give up 15 counties, 400,000 people, about 63 percent of its land without a fight.

But so far 11 eastern counties have voted in favor (or at least in favor of legislation requiring the county to discuss moving).

Last month, lawmakers in Oregon introduced legislation that would require the state to start talks with Idaho, and a similar bill is ready to go in Idaho.