Nobody alive in Oregon today had any say in which state their county was placed. That decision was made 164 years ago in a very different time and culture when there were less than 50,000 people in the entire state.

Things have changed greatly since then.

But state lines can be changed, and in fact have changed when they no longer made sense for the communities they served.

That is what the Greater Idaho movement is all about. In May, Wallowa County voters will get the chance to send a signal to state legislators that they want them to consider relocating the state line between Oregon and Idaho so that Eastern Oregon can get its state-level governance from Idaho. Eleven other eastern counties have already done so, and legislators in both Oregon and Idaho have already begun the process of beginning the discussion.

As leaders in the Greater Idaho movement, we believe there are many reasons why Eastern Oregon counties would be better off as part of Idaho. A 99-page analysis by independent economists showed it would be beneficial to Eastern Oregonians. You can find a link to the analysis at greateridaho.org/vote.

But the most important reason is that the west side of Oregon and the east side have grown far apart socially, culturally and politically. Oregon government tries to solve Portland problems with Portland strategies and Portland values, with little regard for how those policies play out in Eastern Oregon.

A quick look at the bills making their way through the Oregon Legislature shows that the west side of the state has every intention of continuing to force Portland values onto the whole state. Laws regarding guns, schools, transgenderism and local control go against what most Eastern Oregonians want. Those of us on the east side of the state find ourselves in a position of having little political power and a voice that’s not being heard. Voting to change the border and change state governance to a state that better shares our values is our best way of ensuring that those values are respected and maintained moving forward.

A core American principle is the right to have government for the people, by the people and with the consent of the people. The Greater Idaho measure that your fellow residents gathered signatures for and got on the ballot is giving Wallowa County residents a chance to make their voices heard about what that government looks like at the state level.

If you believe like we do that the state-level government coming from Idaho better reflects your community and would be best for the future of your families, vote “yes” on Measure 32-007.