After 33 counties in downstate Illinois voted in favor of symbolic referendums about creating a new state since 2020, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has taken the discussion a step further.
Braun signed into law on Thursday legislation that would establish a commission to study adjusting the boundaries between the two states. The first-term Republican could not be immediately reached for comment Friday.
Authored by Rep. Todd Houston, the Republican House speaker, the law requires Braun to appoint six individuals who are not state lawmakers to the Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission.
However, the bill outlines that another five individuals can be appointed under Illinois law — except there is no Illinois law. Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, introduced partner legislation in January, but the bill did not get assigned to a committee in the Illinois House, where Democrats hold a supermajority.
“It's not surprising. It's unfortunate,” Halbrook said. “This is an important discussion that we need to have.”
Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, who chairs the Assignments Committee, did not respond to requests for comment.
No more than four of the six Indiana appointees can be from the same political party. The first meeting of the commission will take place no later than Sept. 1. The commission should meet at least once per calendar year, according to the law.
When the commission completes its work, it will have 60 days to submit a written report to the Indiana General Assembly.
The Indiana law states six members must be present to have a quorum, meaning Indiana can have meetings without any Illinois appointees and take official action.
If the commission recommends adjusting state boundaries, it would not take effect until both state legislatures and Congress approve, the bill concludes.
Even though it won’t have an official representation, Halbrook said he hopes the commission would allow testimony from Illinois residents.
The commission meetings could have afforded a formal opportunity to discuss why Illinoisans may want to leave the state in the first place, even if the idea of redrawing the boundaries between the states may not be practical, Halbrook said.
“We need to have that conversation to say, ‘These are the issues the general assembly needs to take this seriously and address them’ — and turn Illinois into a destination state, rather than a state to exit,” he said.
Think tanks that advocate for tax cuts say Indiana generally ranks far better than Illinois in terms of tax policy.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s office declined to comment on the Indiana plan, but the second-term Democrat mocked the legislation earlier this year — calling it not serious and describing Indiana as a low-wage state.
“It’s a stunt,” Pritzker said in January of Illinois counties joining Indiana. “It’s not going to happen.”
Proponents of seceding from Illinois argue that Cook County, home to Chicago, has an outsize influence on statewide politics.
Illinois has a population of roughly 12.5 million, according to 2023 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The Chicago metropolitan area in the state totals about 8.5 million people — or roughly two-thirds Illinois’ population.
But GH Merritt, chairman of New Illinois, one of the two groups that have advocated for forming a state separate from Cook County, said the real motivation of the Indiana legislature’s new law wasn’t actually redrawing state lines. After speaking with the office of Speaker Huston, Merritt said she was told this commission was about sending a message to Illinois lawmakers.
“Northwestern Indiana's economy is very much entwined with the economy of Chicago,” Merritt said. “They see what is going on in Chicago and Illinois, economically and financially, and they're trying to send them a message that they need to correct course because it's going to adversely affect Indiana.”
Merritt said Illinois not passing companion legislation was not disappointing because joining another state would be even more burdensome than creating a 51st state that a third legislature would need to approve.
“From the very beginning, we didn't think it would be possible,” Merritt said of Illinois counties joining Indiana.
Still, the Indiana bill has created a lot more interest in the movement, Merritt said.
“Now, would it be preferable to be in Indiana as opposed to Illinois?” Merritt asked. “Well, sure.”
