Welcome to Nationwide Report®
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Nationwide Report
  • States
    • Midwest
      • Illinois
      • Indiana
      • Iowa
      • Kansas
      • Michigan
      • Minnesota
      • Missouri
      • Nebraska
      • North Dakota
      • Ohio
      • South Dakota
      • Wisconsin
    • Northeast
      • Connecticut
      • Maine
      • Massachusetts
      • New Hampshire
      • New Jersey
      • New York
      • Pennsylvania
      • Rhode Island
      • Vermont
    • Southeast
      • Alabama
      • Arkansas
      • Delaware
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Kentucky
      • Louisiana
      • Maryland
      • Mississippi
      • North Carolina
      • South Carolina
      • Tennessee
      • Virginia
      • West Virginia
    • Southwest
      • Arizona
      • New Mexico
      • Oklahoma
      • Texas
    • West
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Hawaii
      • Idaho
      • Montana
      • Nevada
      • Oregon
      • Utah
      • Washington
      • Wyoming
  • Breaking News
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Gaming
    • Music
    • Sports
    Primary Wave Inks Catalog Deal With the Estate of Fleetwood Mac Founder Peter Green — Covering ‘Albatross,’ ‘Black Magic Woman,’ and More

    Primary Wave Inks Catalog Deal With the Estate of Fleetwood Mac Founder Peter Green — Covering ‘Albatross,’ ‘Black Magic Woman,’ and More

    Nintendo’s anti-piracy rules have got one Switch 2 owner’s console banned after they bought pre-owned games that they later found out were cloned

    Nintendo’s anti-piracy rules have got one Switch 2 owner’s console banned after they bought pre-owned games that they later found out were cloned

    Can AI Ever Replace Human Authenticity?

    Can AI Ever Replace Human Authenticity?

    Drake Lists 63 Potential Witnesses in Defamation Suit Against UMG—Including Lucian Grainge, Jody Gerson, Monte Lipman, Spotify & NFL Execs

    Drake Lists 63 Potential Witnesses in Defamation Suit Against UMG—Including Lucian Grainge, Jody Gerson, Monte Lipman, Spotify & NFL Execs

    BLACKPINK Makes History with Sold-Out SoFi Stadium Run

    BLACKPINK Makes History with Sold-Out SoFi Stadium Run

    Sony Music CAC Doubles Down on the Dominican Republic with Alofoke Tie-Up

    Sony Music CAC Doubles Down on the Dominican Republic with Alofoke Tie-Up

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel
    Republicans cap student loan debt. Why that’s bad news for California medical students

    Republicans cap student loan debt. Why that’s bad news for California medical students

    SCOTUS upholding transgender youth treatment bans could have far-reaching health care implications

    SCOTUS upholding transgender youth treatment bans could have far-reaching health care implications

    SCOTUS upholding transgender youth treatment bans could have far-reaching health care implications

    SCOTUS upholding transgender youth treatment bans could have far-reaching health care implications

    ‘The most draconian cuts imaginable’: Health care providers, advocates brace for Medicaid cuts

    ‘The most draconian cuts imaginable’: Health care providers, advocates brace for Medicaid cuts

  • Resources
    • Accident Report + Free Consulation
    • Find a Repair Center
    • Law Enforcement Agencies
    • Online Traffic School
  • Tech
    This useful Spotify access feature could be coming to OnePlus and Oppo earbuds, following the likes of Sony and Bose

    This useful Spotify access feature could be coming to OnePlus and Oppo earbuds, following the likes of Sony and Bose

    Google transforms NotebookLM into a curated knowledge hub and I might be in geek heaven

    Google transforms NotebookLM into a curated knowledge hub and I might be in geek heaven

    HBO’s Harry Potter TV show is supposed to be a fresh start, but Nick Frost’s Hagrid says otherwise

    HBO’s Harry Potter TV show is supposed to be a fresh start, but Nick Frost’s Hagrid says otherwise

    Nintendo’s anti-piracy rules have got one Switch 2 owner’s console banned after they bought pre-owned games that they later found out were cloned

    Nintendo’s anti-piracy rules have got one Switch 2 owner’s console banned after they bought pre-owned games that they later found out were cloned

    China regains access to Nvidia chips after US lifts restrictions

    China regains access to Nvidia chips after US lifts restrictions

    Is the inside of your PC a dust-filled nightmare? Maybe not in the future, thanks to case filters inspired by the human nose

    Is the inside of your PC a dust-filled nightmare? Maybe not in the future, thanks to case filters inspired by the human nose

Nationwide Report
  • States
    • Midwest
      • Illinois
      • Indiana
      • Iowa
      • Kansas
      • Michigan
      • Minnesota
      • Missouri
      • Nebraska
      • North Dakota
      • Ohio
      • South Dakota
      • Wisconsin
    • Northeast
      • Connecticut
      • Maine
      • Massachusetts
      • New Hampshire
      • New Jersey
      • New York
      • Pennsylvania
      • Rhode Island
      • Vermont
    • Southeast
      • Alabama
      • Arkansas
      • Delaware
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Kentucky
      • Louisiana
      • Maryland
      • Mississippi
      • North Carolina
      • South Carolina
      • Tennessee
      • Virginia
      • West Virginia
    • Southwest
      • Arizona
      • New Mexico
      • Oklahoma
      • Texas
    • West
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Hawaii
      • Idaho
      • Montana
      • Nevada
      • Oregon
      • Utah
      • Washington
      • Wyoming
  • Breaking News
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Gaming
    • Music
    • Sports
    Primary Wave Inks Catalog Deal With the Estate of Fleetwood Mac Founder Peter Green — Covering ‘Albatross,’ ‘Black Magic Woman,’ and More

    Primary Wave Inks Catalog Deal With the Estate of Fleetwood Mac Founder Peter Green — Covering ‘Albatross,’ ‘Black Magic Woman,’ and More

    Nintendo’s anti-piracy rules have got one Switch 2 owner’s console banned after they bought pre-owned games that they later found out were cloned

    Nintendo’s anti-piracy rules have got one Switch 2 owner’s console banned after they bought pre-owned games that they later found out were cloned

    Can AI Ever Replace Human Authenticity?

    Can AI Ever Replace Human Authenticity?

    Drake Lists 63 Potential Witnesses in Defamation Suit Against UMG—Including Lucian Grainge, Jody Gerson, Monte Lipman, Spotify & NFL Execs

    Drake Lists 63 Potential Witnesses in Defamation Suit Against UMG—Including Lucian Grainge, Jody Gerson, Monte Lipman, Spotify & NFL Execs

    BLACKPINK Makes History with Sold-Out SoFi Stadium Run

    BLACKPINK Makes History with Sold-Out SoFi Stadium Run

    Sony Music CAC Doubles Down on the Dominican Republic with Alofoke Tie-Up

    Sony Music CAC Doubles Down on the Dominican Republic with Alofoke Tie-Up

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel
    Republicans cap student loan debt. Why that’s bad news for California medical students

    Republicans cap student loan debt. Why that’s bad news for California medical students

    SCOTUS upholding transgender youth treatment bans could have far-reaching health care implications

    SCOTUS upholding transgender youth treatment bans could have far-reaching health care implications

    SCOTUS upholding transgender youth treatment bans could have far-reaching health care implications

    SCOTUS upholding transgender youth treatment bans could have far-reaching health care implications

    ‘The most draconian cuts imaginable’: Health care providers, advocates brace for Medicaid cuts

    ‘The most draconian cuts imaginable’: Health care providers, advocates brace for Medicaid cuts

  • Resources
    • Accident Report + Free Consulation
    • Find a Repair Center
    • Law Enforcement Agencies
    • Online Traffic School
  • Tech
    This useful Spotify access feature could be coming to OnePlus and Oppo earbuds, following the likes of Sony and Bose

    This useful Spotify access feature could be coming to OnePlus and Oppo earbuds, following the likes of Sony and Bose

    Google transforms NotebookLM into a curated knowledge hub and I might be in geek heaven

    Google transforms NotebookLM into a curated knowledge hub and I might be in geek heaven

    HBO’s Harry Potter TV show is supposed to be a fresh start, but Nick Frost’s Hagrid says otherwise

    HBO’s Harry Potter TV show is supposed to be a fresh start, but Nick Frost’s Hagrid says otherwise

    Nintendo’s anti-piracy rules have got one Switch 2 owner’s console banned after they bought pre-owned games that they later found out were cloned

    Nintendo’s anti-piracy rules have got one Switch 2 owner’s console banned after they bought pre-owned games that they later found out were cloned

    China regains access to Nvidia chips after US lifts restrictions

    China regains access to Nvidia chips after US lifts restrictions

    Is the inside of your PC a dust-filled nightmare? Maybe not in the future, thanks to case filters inspired by the human nose

    Is the inside of your PC a dust-filled nightmare? Maybe not in the future, thanks to case filters inspired by the human nose

Nationwide Report
Home Commentary
Start a Quiz

Autonomous in Oregon: A new spin on rural-urban divide

by RSS News
May 12, 2025
in Commentary, eastern Washington, Greater Idaho, Idaho, Oregon, separatist movements, Washington
Reading Time: 4 mins read
Autonomous in Oregon: A new spin on rural-urban divide
0
SHARES
3
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on X

Read More

Pronghorn antelope roam near Rome in eastern Oregon. (Photo by Laura Tesler/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

The idea of Greater Idaho — splitting off most of eastern Oregon to join with the state of Idaho — isn’t going to fly. It won’t happen.

So here’s another idea:

The Autonomous Area of eastern Oregon. And Western too, for good measure.

This concept was not invented in the deep recesses of a pundit’s mind. It comes from a recently introduced piece of legislation by a Republican lawmaker in the state of Washington.

Washington has a regional dynamic similar to Oregon. The bulk of its population is west of the Cascades and as a region votes clearly Democratic, while the geographically larger but less populated territory to the east votes Republican — with all the correlating social and economic considerations that implies. Washington’s east side hasn’t organized a highly visible join-Idaho effort the way Oregon’s has, but the proposal has surfaced occasionally.

A related but different idea emerged in this year’s Washington legislative session. Rep. Rob Chase, R-Spokane Valley in House Bill 2085 proposed keeping Washington state intact, and its congressional representation unchanged, but splitting most governing within the state.

The bill described it this way: “The legislature intends to divide the state into two autonomous regions, the Puget Sound region and the Columbia region, by constitutional amendment. Each region would provide regional governors, regional legislators, and regional judges. The state of Washington will remain a single state for purposes of federal election, as proposed in New York Senate Bill 2023-S3093.”

Presumably, that would mean splitting the key regional elections (both autonomous areas would have governors and legislatures, for example) while both vote under a common system for federal offices. Laws and regulations and finances would be affected as well.

Chase said of this, “We would have better representation that takes into account the ideals, principles, priorities, beliefs, and values found in the populace that it serves. Isn’t this what our Founding Fathers envisioned when establishing our Democratic Republic?”

This approach isn’t something familiar to American government: There are no formal “autonomous regions” in the United States. They’re more common in other parts of the globe, however, including the Caucasus, China and even a slice of Finland. Greenland, famously, is an autonomous region: Largely self-governing but under the national umbrella of Denmark.

On an American state level it’s an ambitious idea, but it may be within the purview of the state legislature. It probably would require a state constitutional amendment, but — because states do have some leeway in setting up their own governments — it might not require federal approval. If the legislature and voters approved, it probably (we’d have to see what the courts would say) could happen.

The bill didn’t go anywhere in the Washington legislature this year, nor should we expect any voter action. Chase said he introduced it now mainly to get a head start for a future push.

But the Greater Idaho folks have no doubt heard of it, and the idea of a similar bill introduction in Salem may be floated soon if it hasn’t been already. The process might even be simpler in Oregon: While Washington requires constitutional amendments to come from the legislature, Oregon allows them via citizen initiatives.

So how might this play out in Oregon?

Imagine the Greater Idaho group or some other organization petitioning for a constitutional amendment to be approved, or not, by the voters. This would have a considerable advantage over the kind of long-term and probably hopeless slog to change state boundaries. If structured carefully, the issue might be resolved in a single election through a change in the state constitution. If it passed, it would happen through the approval of the voters, which would give the idea powerful legitimacy statewide.

Getting most Oregonians to vote in favor, of course, would be difficult.

You’ll also notice the reference to “structured carefully.” Plenty of tricky issues would have to be addressed. We might be talking about three governors in Oregon, one for the whole state and one each for the east and the west. How do they relate to each other, and to the federal government, and what relative powers would they have? You could ask similar questions about the Legislature. Would there still be a statewide legislature, and if so, what could it and could it not do?

What might be the differences in tax and spending? What about federal money coming to the state of Oregon: How would it be divided? How would law enforcement and safety agencies coordinate? If criminal and other laws were different (which would seem to be part of the point of having an autonomous region), what about extradition? What would be the authority of whatever remained of a statewide Oregon government, because there would have to be one if only to deal with other states and the feds.

The autonomous idea is more complex than it first sounds. If Greater Idaho is watching the action across the Columbia, they may want to pay attention to how legislator Chase started to field the questions that are sure to multiply.

This article was first published by the Oregon Capital Chronicle, part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Julia Shumway for questions: [email protected].

This post was originally authored and published by Randy Stapilus from Washington State Standard via RSS Feed. Join today to get your news feed on Nationwide Report®.

Nationwide Report®

Nationwide Resources

Nationwide Report® has built a nationwide sponsorship network with those that specialize in accidents, injuries and safe driving.

Get Accident Report
Find A Repair Center
Online Traffic School
Start a Quiz

Related Breaking News

Crash near Big Sky sends 4 people to hospital

Woman dies in Lincoln County crash

Operation Southern Slow Down cracks down on speeding in five states this week

Woman dies after being hit by truck in Jefferson County

Driver charged with DUI in fatal motorcycle crash in Athens

Tech News

Netflix confirms Stranger Things season 5 trailer launch date – and yes, it’ll be released very, very soon
Netflix

Netflix confirms Stranger Things season 5 trailer launch date – and yes, it’ll be released very, very soon

July 15, 2025
AI is helping developers save time – but the struggle to find timely information is costing businesses millions
Pro

AI is helping developers save time – but the struggle to find timely information is costing businesses millions

July 15, 2025
Cloud sovereignty in Europe and beyond: a tipping point?
Pro

Cloud sovereignty in Europe and beyond: a tipping point?

July 15, 2025
Understanding the vibe coding trend and considerations for developers
Pro

Understanding the vibe coding trend and considerations for developers

July 14, 2025

Around The Nation

Tragic Head-On Collision on Melton Road Kills Mike Adams and Wife [Highlandville, MO]

Horrific Head-On Crash on Ventura Street near D Street Kills 2 [Ventura County, CA]

July 10, 2025
Crippling Traffic Crash near Country Garden Drive and Kiefer Boulevard Injures 3 [Sacramento, CA]

Crippling Traffic Crash near Country Garden Drive and Kiefer Boulevard Injures 3 [Sacramento, CA]

July 10, 2025
Gaston Moreau Fatally Struck in Vermont Avenue Accident [Los Angeles, CA]

Disastrous Pedestrian Crash on Westwood Boulevard and West Pine Street Injures 1 [Poplar Bluff, MO]

July 10, 2025
Sponsored

Nationwide Report® locates and sources news for local areas across the United States. In addition, we offer and connect you to resources in your area.

About

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Daily Newsletter

Join over 4,500 Daily Subscribers!

  • ¹ Accident Report & Legal Consultation Disclaimer
  • ² Affiliate Disclaimer 
  • ³ Sponsored News Content Disclaimer
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

NOTICE ABOUT ATTORNEY & SPONSOR ADVERTISING: This website contains sponsor advertisements such as our accident report retrieval. Nationwide Report is not a lawfirm or a lawyer referral service and cannot retrieve the reports online – a human has to manually review your unique accident details. Attorneys and/or sponsors have paid an advertising fee. Using our website is not intended to and does not create an attorney-client relationship between a lawyer or sponsor. The information contained on Nationwidereport.com is not legal advice and the lawyer or sponsor does not in any way constitute a referral or endorsement by this site. If you live in AL, FL, MO, NY or WY, click here to see additional information about the attorney or sponsor advertising in these states.

COOKIE & PRIVACY NOTICE: We use cookies to customize your experience and analyze our website traffic. We share information about your activity on our site with our analytics partners, who may combine it with other data you’ve provided or that they’ve gathered from your usage of their services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and for those in California, you can learn about the notice of collection here.

Copyright © 2025 Nationwide Report®. All rights reserved.

  • States
    • Midwest
      • Illinois
      • Indiana
      • Iowa
      • Kansas
      • Michigan
      • Minnesota
      • Missouri
      • Nebraska
      • North Dakota
      • Ohio
      • South Dakota
      • Wisconsin
    • Northeast
      • Connecticut
      • Maine
      • Massachusetts
      • New Hampshire
      • New Jersey
      • New York
      • Pennsylvania
      • Rhode Island
      • Vermont
    • Southeast
      • Alabama
      • Arkansas
      • Delaware
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Kentucky
      • Louisiana
      • Maryland
      • Mississippi
      • North Carolina
      • South Carolina
      • Tennessee
      • Virginia
      • West Virginia
    • Southwest
      • Arizona
      • New Mexico
      • Oklahoma
      • Texas
    • West
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Hawaii
      • Idaho
      • Montana
      • Nevada
      • Oregon
      • Utah
      • Washington
      • Wyoming
  • Breaking News
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Resources
    • Accident Report + Free Consulation
    • Find a Repair Center
    • Law Enforcement Agencies
    • Online Traffic School
  • Tech

© 2024 Nationwide Report® - Regional news updates from different parts of the nation.