Indiana takes a first -- and long -- shot at acquiring parts of Illinois

Indiana is taking a archetypal measurement toward acquiring parts of Illinois, though a past measurement appears alternatively unlikely.

Indiana's Legislature this week gave last support to a measure that would make the Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission to urge whether to alteration the borderline betwixt the 2 states. The determination comes arsenic residents of some Illinois counties are seeking to separate from the Chicago area.

Republican Indiana Gov. Mike Braun plans to motion the measurement into law, spokesperson Griffin Reid said Friday. Braun volition past look a Sept. 1 deadline to docket the commission's archetypal meeting.

But there's a hitch.

A alteration successful authorities boundaries besides would request support from Illinois and the U.S. Congress. And Illinois' apical elected officials don't similar the idea.

A companion measure authorizing Illinois to enactment successful the borderline accommodation committee has yet to person a proceeding successful an Illinois House committee. Earlier this year, Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker called the Indiana authorities “a stunt."

Minor bound changes betwixt states are not unusual; determination person been astatine slightest 50 passim U.S. history, according the National Center for Interstate Compacts astatine The Council of State Governments. But nary large changes person occurred since the Civil War era, erstwhile immoderate Virginia counties broke mode to signifier West Virginia.

The existent question involving Illinois and Indiana stems from governmental and urban-rural divisions. Democrats predominate the Chicago country and frankincense besides power authorities government, portion Republicans correspond galore different parts of Illinois. Republicans besides power Indiana government.

In the past 5 years, voters successful 33 Illinois counties person approved ballot measures asking if they privation to see separating from Chicago’s Cook County to signifier a caller state. But that doesn’t needfully mean they would nexus up with Indiana, if fixed the chance.

A akin question is underway successful eastbound Oregon, wherever immoderate counties privation to interruption distant from their Democratic-led authorities and articulation Republican-led Idaho. The Idaho House passed a measurement 2 years agone inviting Oregon to participate into discussions. But akin measures stay buried successful committees successful the Oregon Legislature.

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