Ron is a political / outdoor columnist and has regular columns running in the Pioneer Press and the Siskiyou Daily News

State of Jefferson

By Ron Parker

January 21, 2003

Is the Jefferson State concept just a ploy to promote tourism and assist in boosting the local economy, or could such a concept become a reality?

In the early 1940’s citizens residing in the most northern counties of our state, and a number of counties in Southern Oregon, instigated a movement to secede from their statehoods.  This movement of splitting our state proved to be the most popular of 46 attempts since statehood was established.

There were two factors that inspired the Jefferson State concept.  The first being that tax money generated in these isolated regions of both states never came back to improve, or build, badly need roads.  Most of the so-called highways in these areas at the time became mud holes in the winters and dust bowls during the summer months.  Many of the roads resembled mountain trails barely fit for mountain goats.  These northern areas of California and southern Oregon were being taxed on the products they produced from their renewable natural resources-the timber, agriculture and mining industries-and receiving no benefits to build better roads from the tax dollars they were obligated to pay.

The other reason this movement transpired related to a circumstance that still exists today.  The dense metropolitan areas of northern Oregon and the southern areas of our state had a tendency to dictate their political agenda to those residing in the proposed Jefferson State counties and legislators in both state capitols would pass regulatory mandates and legislative laws that most of the citizens in these regions believed to be unwarranted and unnecessary.

Supporters of this idea believed that the newly proposed state would have enough economic base generated by timber, agriculture and mining industries to secure it’s resident from state taxation.  There was also talk about leaving the state open to gambling, which would create additional wealth-using the state of Nevada as an example.

Some contend that the movement was just a publicity stunt to attract attention to improve the quality of life in these outer regions of both states and eliminate political pressures from state capitols.  I believe different.  I think that those involved in this movement were sincere in their efforts.  Never the less, the declaration of war on December 7^th, 1941 (World War II), brought this movement to an abrupt end.

Although the transportation byways in our north state are no longer any grave concern like they were in the early 40’s, the fact that legislative and regulative mandates continue to plague our north state citizens has awaken the State of Jefferson movement in many of our minds.  We still contend with blanket legislation and regulatory policies that are unnecessary in our every day lives.

Although some of those good old boys and gals down at the state capitol claim a Jefferson State movement would be impossible without their consent and blessings, a couple individuals I’ve spoken with that are studying such a movement say such claims are bogus.  According to these folks, the state legislature can be circumvented and the wishes of the people of a region requesting separate statehood can be directly addressed to legislators on Capitol Hill in Washington DC.  They claim that the United States Constitution allows the people of any given region the right to request and gain independent statehood.

However, there seems to be some basic requirements that have to be set in place before addressing our nations legislators.  There must be the consent of 75% of those residing in the region by signed signed petition or proclamation, an economic base must be established for the region and there are a few other high hurdles to jump before statehood could become a reality.

I believe that if enough of our county citizens, and those of neighboring counties, became involved in such a movement, such could become a reality.