Indiana has started preliminary actions towards potentially expanding its state borders into parts of Illinois, though completing such an endeavor seems unlikely. This week, the Indiana Legislature approved a proposal to set up the Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission. This commission is tasked with exploring the feasibility of altering the border between the two neighboring states. This initiative has emerged partly because certain residents in some Illinois counties wish to distance themselves from the influence of Chicago.
The office of Republican Indiana Governor Mike Braun has indicated that he plans to enact the new law, with spokesman Griffin Reid confirming this Friday. Pending his signature, Governor Braun must convene the commission’s inaugural session by September 1.
However, this proposal includes significant obstacles. Any adjustment of state lines would necessitate consent from both Illinois and the U.S. Congress, and unfortunately for Indiana, senior Illinois officials are not supportive. A corresponding proposal in Illinois authorizing participation in the boundary adjustment has yet to be reviewed by a House committee. Earlier this year, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker dismissed Indiana’s legislative efforts as merely “a stunt.”
The idea of states modifying their borders isn’t unheard of; over 50 such minor adjustments have occurred across the United States according to data from the National Center for Interstate Compacts at The Council of State Governments. Yet, substantial boundary changes have not happened since the Civil War era when certain counties of Virginia chose to detach and form what is now West Virginia.
The discourse surrounding the Illinois-Indiana border primarily emerges from the sharp political and societal contrasts between urban and rural areas. Chicago, a Democrat stronghold, significantly influences Illinois politics, whereas Republicans hold sway in many rural areas of the state. Republicans also helm the Indiana government.
Over the past five years, voters in 33 counties throughout Illinois have shown interest in detaching from Chicago’s Cook County in favor of establishing a new state. This sentiment has resulted from various ballot referenda, but it does not explicitly imply these counties wish to join Indiana, should such an opportunity arise.
A similar scenario is unfolding in Oregon’s eastern counties where a movement to leave the Democrat-controlled state in favor of aligning with Republican-led Idaho exists. Two years ago, the Idaho House passed legislation inviting Oregon for talks, yet equivalent proposals have stalled in the Oregon Legislature’s committees.