Indiana Proposes Bill to Absorb Illinois Counties

Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston has proposed legislation aiming to facilitate the annexation of several Illinois counties that have expressed interest in secession due to high taxes. The bill seeks to create an Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission, which would require cooperation from both states and approval from the U.S. Congress. Over the past few years, more than 30 counties in Illinois have held referenda indicating a desire to explore separation from Illinois, particularly in response to policies influenced by Cook County. Huston has emphasized that instead of forming a new state, these counties should consider joining Indiana to benefit from its lower tax environment. However, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has stated that these counties lack legal standing to secede. The proposal has drawn mixed reactions, with some Democrats criticizing it as a political distraction from more pressing issues facing the state.