Indiana takes first action in long-shot plan to acquire parts of Illinois

Indiana is taking a first step toward a rather unlikely effort to amend its dividing line and acquire parts of Illinois The legislature in the Hoosier State passed a bill last week to establish the Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission that would recommend whether to alter the perimeter between the two states Indiana Gov Mike Braun a Republican plans to sign the measure into law his office explained on Friday The governor will then face a Sept deadline to schedule the commission's first meeting CONSERVATIVE PORTION OF BLUE STATE LOOKING TO BREAK OFF AND JOIN NEIGHBORING RED STATEThis comes as residents of specific counties in Illinois seek to separate from the densely populated and deep blue Chicago area But despite backing from the Indiana administration and the people in the Illinois counties that would change states the Illinois authorities and the U S Congress would need to approve the plan to change state boundaries Illinois' top elected agents do not endorsement the idea A companion bill in Illinois authorizing the state to participate in the commission to change the margin has not received a hearing in an Illinois House committee Democrat Illinois Gov J B Pritzker also described the Indiana measure earlier this year as a stunt Minor boundary changes between states are not a new idea as there have been at least in U S history according to the National Center for Interstate Compacts at The Council of State Governments However no major changes have been implemented since the Civil War era when several counties in Virginia separated to create West Virginia The current effort to change the confines between Illinois and Indiana is fueled in part by political divisions The Chicago area is controlled by Democrats and given the area's large population the party also controls the state executive while Republicans represent a large number of other parts of Illinois The Indiana regime meanwhile is controlled by Republicans NY LAWMAKER CALLS FOR STATEN ISLAND TO SECEDEIn the last five years voters in Illinois counties have approved ballot measures asking if they want to consider separating from Cook County a county that includes Chicago to form a new state But the initiative does not necessarily mean they would join Indiana if given the opportunity A similar effort is ongoing in eastern Oregon as a few counties in that Democrat-controlled state want to break away and join Republican-led Idaho The Idaho House approved a measure two years ago allowing Oregon to enter into discussions but similar measures have not moved forward as they remain stuck in committees in the Oregon legislature The Associated Press contributed to this assessment