Indiana lawmakers advance bill to redraw border with Illinois

• Indiana lawmakers have advanced a bill to create a commission exploring whether 33 rural Illinois counties could join Indiana. The move follows local referendums in those counties expressing interest in leaving Illinois.
• The proposed “Indiana-Illinois Border Adjustment Commission” would include members from both states. However, Illinois leaders, including Gov. JB Pritzker, have dismissed the idea as unserious.
• Critics argue the plan is politically symbolic and unlikely to succeed.

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Indiana lawmakers have advanced a proposal that could reshape the state’s western border, potentially allowing dozens of Illinois counties to join the Hoosier state. A bill that passed through both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly would establish a bipartisan commission tasked with exploring the feasibility of moving the state line. Officials on the Illinois side of the border aren’t on board, making the premise unlikely.

The proposed “Indiana-Illinois Border Adjustment Commission” would be composed of six members appointed by Indiana’s governor and five appointed by Illinois.

Illinois rural residents don’t feel like a priority

State Sen. Scott Baldwin, R-Noblesville, who sponsored the legislation, said the commission would evaluate whether to incorporate 33 rural Illinois counties that have expressed interest in leaving their state.

“Many residents in Illinois feel like they are donor communities for Chicago, and they feel like Hoosiers’ values are more in line with their values,” Baldwin said during an April 15 Senate session.

The effort follows nonbinding referendums passed in several Illinois counties, where voters have signaled support for severing ties with Illinois, citing political and economic disconnects with Chicago and Cook County.

Illinois governor has expressed opposition to bill

Still, any attempt to redraw state boundaries would require the approval of both state legislatures and the U.S. Congress. A similar bill introduced in the Illinois House failed to gain traction, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has been vocal in his opposition.

“It’s a stunt; it’s not going to happen,” Pritzker said on Jan. 16 during a press event. “But I’ll just say that Indiana is a low-wage state that doesn’t protect workers. A state that does not provide health care for people when they’re in need, and so I don’t think that it is very attractive for anybody in Illinois, where wages are higher, where the standard of living is higher and where we do provide health care for people who are in need.”

State Sen. Baldwin pushed back against that characterization, saying Indiana offers benefits that many Illinois residents are seeking.

“Indiana offers lower taxes and business-free policies,” he said. “We have better fiscal management, we’ve got improved infrastructure services as compared to Illinois.”

Democrats aren’t on board

However, not all Indiana lawmakers are on board. State Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, the Senate minority leader, expressed skepticism about the plan’s viability.

“This is a waste of time,” Taylor said. “The amount of time it’s going to take to get this done, there will be none of us here. It’s going to take a constitutional amendment. We’re going to have to change the dynamics of our Congressional and Senate seats and House of Representatives seats, and we’re going to have to get the governor of Illinois to sign off on it.”

Similar proposals have emerged in other parts of the country. The “Greater Idaho” movement sought to bring rural Oregon counties into Idaho, while some Maryland counties explored the idea of joining West Virginia. Neither effort received full approval from either state or Congress.

For now, Indiana’s bill would only create a study commission. If Illinois declines to participate, Indiana members could proceed on their own to outline what such a border shift would entail.