51st State - North Idaho
October 31, 2021 at 8:05 p.m.
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The following is part of my continued series of letters on potential candidates for the 51st state in the Union. This letter will focus on another potential state in the Pacific Northwest Region - North Idaho. North Idaho which would consist of its 10 northernmost counties the panhandle portion of the state would be around 21,000 square miles placing it in between West Virginia and Maryland in terms of size. When it comes to population North Idaho would have a population of 355,000 putting it at the tail end of state rankings behind Wyoming but ahead of the U.S. territory of Guam.
Several efforts have been made throughout the history of Idaho for the northern part to either separate into its own state or join with the eastern portion of Washington. Both of those efforts in 1907 and 1917 did not advance very far in the state legislature and then still would have had to gone before Congress. The most significant hurdle for this region to become a state would be its population size. Currently, the least populated state of Wyoming with a population of around 578,000 people. Rhode Island’s 1st District comes in around 526,000 people as the smallest regular district. Throughout the U.S., the average congressional district has around 700,000 residents being represented. Even with the adoption of the Wyoming rule of Congressional representation which would raise the overall number of representatives in Congress. North Idaho would still be short by 150,000 to 200,000 residents to get a representative in Congress.
On the Senate side, the population size would not be as big as a hurdle since all states are entitled to two senators no matter their size or population. However, there would still be some hesitation by members of Congress when you do not have even half a million residents in your potential state. Which is the one reason why another potential state in the Union, Michigan’s upper peninsula or the state of Superior has not been admitted. One possible avenue for admission would be if Puerto Rico was admitted as a state, then these two regions of North Idaho and Superior could be admitted as states as a compromise. Another avenue would be the creation of a demi-state category with each state in this category having a non-voting representative in the House of Representatives just like the current U.S. territories but with two senators in the U.S. Senate one representing the state legislature while the other the population of that state.
Alexander Houze
Leesburg
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The following is part of my continued series of letters on potential candidates for the 51st state in the Union. This letter will focus on another potential state in the Pacific Northwest Region - North Idaho. North Idaho which would consist of its 10 northernmost counties the panhandle portion of the state would be around 21,000 square miles placing it in between West Virginia and Maryland in terms of size. When it comes to population North Idaho would have a population of 355,000 putting it at the tail end of state rankings behind Wyoming but ahead of the U.S. territory of Guam.
Several efforts have been made throughout the history of Idaho for the northern part to either separate into its own state or join with the eastern portion of Washington. Both of those efforts in 1907 and 1917 did not advance very far in the state legislature and then still would have had to gone before Congress. The most significant hurdle for this region to become a state would be its population size. Currently, the least populated state of Wyoming with a population of around 578,000 people. Rhode Island’s 1st District comes in around 526,000 people as the smallest regular district. Throughout the U.S., the average congressional district has around 700,000 residents being represented. Even with the adoption of the Wyoming rule of Congressional representation which would raise the overall number of representatives in Congress. North Idaho would still be short by 150,000 to 200,000 residents to get a representative in Congress.
On the Senate side, the population size would not be as big as a hurdle since all states are entitled to two senators no matter their size or population. However, there would still be some hesitation by members of Congress when you do not have even half a million residents in your potential state. Which is the one reason why another potential state in the Union, Michigan’s upper peninsula or the state of Superior has not been admitted. One possible avenue for admission would be if Puerto Rico was admitted as a state, then these two regions of North Idaho and Superior could be admitted as states as a compromise. Another avenue would be the creation of a demi-state category with each state in this category having a non-voting representative in the House of Representatives just like the current U.S. territories but with two senators in the U.S. Senate one representing the state legislature while the other the population of that state.
Alexander Houze
Leesburg
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