ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Some Indiana lawmakers are hoping that several counties in Illinois will become part of their state. A newly established commission is now set to examine the possibility more closely.
Clay Andrews has lived nearly his entire life in western Indiana, growing up just a hundred yards from the Illinois border. Now, he aspires to see that border moved further back, and Indiana’s Governor Mike Braun has recruited him for the cause.
“I got a call from someone in Braun’s office; I’ve met Braun a few times. He knows where we live and what I do, so I guess he thought I’d be a good fit,” Andrews explained.
Andrews is one of the new members of a new Indiana-Illinois boundary adjustment commission.
The group has one goal: re-draw the state borders so that rural-conservative Illinois counties can join the more conservative leaning Indiana.
“You know, they wake up, work hard, and do what they can for their families. They’re just kind of tired of feeling like their state government doesn’t represent them,” Andrews added.
Since West Virginia split from Virginia during the Civil War, no part of one state has separated to join another. However, University of Illinois Springfield professor Kenneth Owen noted that this hasn’t deterred states from attempting it.
“At almost any time in American history, you will find some parts of the country, sometimes multiple parts, where these movements occur,” Owen stated.
But Owen said there is something unique about this commission that other movements have lacked — the support of a state’s government.
“Very often this is something that’s formed by county boards, local officials, but it doesn’t really get that stamp of statewide approval,” Owen said.
Andrews said the next steps for the commission aren’t exactly clear. Their first meeting will be in October. He said what their conversations will be, or when any new maps could come out is still up in the air.
“It is fun to be on the, so to speak, front line, to look into it. You know, have discussions and hopefully we can serve this commission well and give the governor and the legislature what they want,” Andrews said.
Illinois officials have been mostly opposed to the commission. Earlier this year, Governor JB Pritzker called the commission a “stunt” and said it “was not going to happen.”
