Should Eastern Washington be its own state?

Sen. Bob Morton is the prime sponsor of a measure that asks for a new state to be created east of the Cascade Mountains, using 20 of the current state's 39 counties. Here's what some readers think of the idea.

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I live on the West side and go to school on the East side. No way do I want to pay out-of-state tuition. This will cause problems for students across the state. It will restrict the types of education available to students who can only afford in-state tuition prices and I can see nothing but trouble coming from that. Let the state keeps its diversity. — Julia Walker, Vancouver/Ellensburg

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Oh, please, Democrats of Seattle, don't make me live in a Republican state! Eastern Washington is bad enough without knowing that you're still by our side! — John Kozlik, Richland

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I'd love to see Washington split. Western Washington — and particularly King County — has been screwing things up for the state as a whole for far too long. Urban liberals in Seattle should not have such power that their county alone — one county out of 39 — can single-handedly decide the distribution of the state's electoral votes, or elect a governor, especially when that power is misused and corrupted as it was in the last election. If Morton does succeed in splitting the state, I will be among the first wave of refugees heading over the pass. — Winston Rockwell, Kirkland

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I think a lot of people have silently thought about this for long time. The two halves of our state couldn't have less in common. We are completely polarized economically, geographicly, politically, and socially. We'd make steadier progress under separate legislatures. — Matt Moore, Ephrata

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Absolutely not! We are ONE state with differences to keep it interesting. If the easterners don't like it, then work to try to change it — becoming another state is the coward's way out. — Debbie Phillips, Seattle

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I think splitting the state makes perfect sense. It makes sense from a geographic standpoint (the Cascades make a natural boundary) from an economic standpoint, and a cultural standpoint. I don't blame people from Eastern Washington for being upset about lack of representation. It makes zero sense for someone from Walla Walla to have their economic and political fate tied to whatever citizens of King County want. Western Washington is simply to "green" and liberal for the conservative nature of Eastern Washington. There's a North and South Carolina, a North and South Dakota, a Virginia and West Virginia ... why not a Western and Eastern Washington? — Jason Stolberg, Renton

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I am afraid of what would happen if the Republican lawmakers of Eastern Washington had the chance to make a new set of laws, from scratch. Back to the days of indiscriminate logging, mining, whatever form of environmental destruction brings the largest economic return. On the other hand, I'd be willing to give Sen. Bob Morton the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, if he really wants it. — Sonya Rodgers, Seattle

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I'm all for it! Perhaps we can call it Siberia. — Chris Cate, Issaquah

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I think this idea is ABSURD! The last thing I want is to live in a red state! It's bad enough that I have the misfortune to live in a red county! Conservativism is NOT progressive, and separating the state would take power away from Washington on a federal level. NO to this stupid GOP ploy! — Wendy P., Spokane

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Splitting the state is no solution for fixing the fiscal and political disparity in Washington. While it may keep tax revenue working for the region where it was collected, the cost for making the split will likely end up sinking both sides. The politicians that back this bill apparently have no sense of community beyond their constituency. They need to see that we are people of the fine state of Washington. Political differences are no reason to split a functional and occasionally flawed Union. There are very few simple solutions in politics, so it's time for our state representatives to earn their living and work for compromises that will benefit the entire state, not just their precinct. — Zac Copeland, Kirkland