# The Free State Project

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-free-state-project/123567>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [August 12, 2002, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-free-state-project/123567 "2002-08-12T17:58:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-free-state-project/123567/21 "2002-08-14T02:00:36Z")

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I can’t remember the specifics, but wasn’t there a cult in Oregon that had enough numbers to take over the local county government (sheriff, etc.), and the state government stepped in to stop them?

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**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-free-state-project/123567/22 "2002-08-14T03:36:46Z")

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That would probably be Rajneeshpuram (sp?) that you are thinking of. I don’t know the details, but I believe the cult used methods such as spreading e coli via a Taco Bell salad bar, or something like that. That’s the sort of thing that tends to get the state involved.

In any event, if the 20,000 confined themselves to only a few of Wyoming’s legislative districts, they could probably get a foothold in the state legislature. Maybe that would be enough of a spur to get more people to move in, and start to get some legislation passed.

Vermont would also be a decent choice from the opposite end. You’d probably get decent support for drug law reform there, for example. And I believe it has some of the laxest gun laws in the country (IIRC, only state to allow concealed carry without a license).

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**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-free-state-project/123567/23 "2002-08-14T03:43:30Z")

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I would be curious to see if such a state would even work. It’s not like they would be creating a Utopia or anything. All states have to deal with problems like crime, unemployment, infrastructure repair, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Libertarian or not, the people of a state will expect their government to address these problems. It would be interesting to see how they would do it.

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