Could parts of Illinois break away to form a new state that no longer includes Chicago? That is a proposal that seems to be gaining momentum in the state, and nearly a dozen counties will soon be putting the issue up to a vote.
Illinois counties vote on separation proposal
The Independent notes that 11 counties in Illinois will be voting in November on a resolution to withdraw from the state and specifically from Cook County, which contains Chicago. The resolution is being pushed by the organization Illinois Separation, which is critical of Chicago and the influence that Cook County wields over the rest of the state. “This is our lived experience,” said Illinois Separation Director Loret Newlin. “We are ignored. We are not taken into consideration when they’re making a lot of the laws that hurt us.” Newlin pointed to counties like Iroquois County and Madison County that have already approved similar resolutions to demonstrate the geographic reach of the movement to form a new state. “Having Madison and Iroquois on the map, we are no longer rural only and we are not southern only,” Newlin explained. “Now with adding several counties on the western side, that’s equally far north as Iroquois, that’s shoring up that we’re not just for southern Illinois anymore.”
Separation movement pushes back against governor’s dismissal
The approaching non-binding vote will give 11 more counties the chance to join the 33 counties that have already approved the separation stance, out of a total of 102 counties in the state. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has previously dismissed the movement as a political “stunt.” Organizers of the votes, however, argue that they are not merely symbolic but represent genuine frustration and movement toward forming a new state. The movement points to the process outlined in Article IV of the U.S. Constitution and the precedent of West Virginia being formed as a new state during the Civil War. For a new state to be formed, such a proposal would have to be approved by both Illinois’ General Assembly and by the United States Congress. Dave Stopher, who helped push through the Madison County vote, said, “I think this movement has a lot more teeth to it than the governor has given it credit for. He’s kind of pooh-poohing us and not taking us very seriously.” Stopher added, “We’re hoping that this sends a very distinct and clear message to Springfield and to Cook County.”
Opposition to Chicago’s influence on the state
The message that Illinois Separation wants to send is one of frustration, aimed largely at Cook County and particularly Chicago. Separation advocates argue the state policies are too closely tailored to the needs and desires of Chicago to the detriment of other parts of the state. One example advocates cite is the high level of taxes and fees placed on gasoline in the state, which they say disproportionately impacts people living in rural areas of Illinois in contrast to Chicagoans who have greater access to public transportation. Another major issue has been the statewide requirement that Illinois residents must obtain a Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) in order to own guns, a policy that has been viewed as an important part of Chicago’s fight against gun violence but has drawn strong objections from more conservative and more rural parts of the state. Newlin says the gun control issue is a “big one in rural downstate,” where people are calling for “no more FOID cards and other gun restrictions and fees.”
These issues and more are driving noticeable discontent within Illinois, as evidenced by the growing list of dozens of counties approving measures to secede from the state. While actually forming a new state would be an arduous task, the growing number of counties backing separation points to a real political division within the state.