Will Washingtonians Seek “Liberty” Again After These Elections?

November 5th didn't go the way a number of Washington residents had hoped.  You could argue the last 40 years worth of elections have been filled with frustration.  That frustration has been felt mainly on the east side of the state.  While the rest of the U.S. seemed to shift closer to the center or center-right, Washington State moved even further to the left.

Three initiatives that would have ended the Climate Commitment Act, the Capital Gains Tax, and made the Long Term Health Care Payroll Tax optional all failed.  The only initiative that passed maintained natural gas as an energy choice for residents, but that will face a lawsuit once the election is certified.  More than one person I've talked to since Nov. 5 has wondered if now is the time to revive the push to split Washington State.

Splitting Eastern Washington From the West Isn't a New Concept

The rift between east and west is larger than the Cascade Mountain divide.  In 1907 a proposal was put forth in Spokane to create the state of "Lincoln".  It would have combined Eastern Washington with Eastern Oregon and Northern Idaho.  It didn't work out.

That didn't mean the residents east of the Cascades were giving up the fight.  A second wave of separation began in 2015 by then State Representatives Matt Shea and Bob McCaslin Jr. (both 4th District Spokane Valley).  The idea made it's way onto paper as House Memorial 4000 that was prefiled in 2016 for the 2017 State Legislative session.  In 2019, House Bill 1509 was filed that would have officially created the new State of Liberty.  It didn't go anywhere.

The second go round for establishing the 51st State was in 2021.  Matt Shea was no longer in the State Legislature, but Bob McCaslin was.  He was joined on House Bill 1239 by the State Rep. Rob Chase (4th District Spokane Valley), then State Rep. Robert Sutherland (39th District Granite Falls), and State Rep Tom Dent (13th District Moses Lake).  The second attempt, much like the first, went nowhere.  In both separation plans Spokane would have become the capital.

Do Washingtonians Want to Split the State?

That is the $64,000 question.  While it seems like most in Eastern Washington want to split things up, there hasn't been much in the way of data to show just how many.  The biggest issue preventing from happening is the State Legislature.  If the state splits then the remaining state of Washington would lose federal money, congressional representation, and electoral votes which all coincides with the drop in population.

They would also have to strike deals with "Liberty" for access to the power produced by the dams on the east side.  Don't forget the overwhelming amount of agriculture east of the Cascades that will also require striking an agreement for the west side to gain access.  Those bits are larger headaches than listening to Eastern Washington complain.

There May Be A Small Sliver of Hope

There are no bills planned for introduction in the coming session that would split the State in half, you might find this interesting.  A poll done by YouGov.com in February of this year looked at the percentage of residents in each State that wanted to secede from the U.S. as a whole.  24% of Washingtonians wanted to renounce their statehood and spit from the other 49.  No word as to how that would shake out but I don't know that it's something we'll need to plan for in the long run.