Movement Aims to Kick Chicago Out of Illinois, Conservative activists largely behind the push

[Demovictory9]

https://www.newser.com/story/275452/movement-aims-to-kick-chicago-out-of-illinois.html?utm_source=part&utm_medium=uol&utm_campaign=rss_top

NEWSER) – Cook County, which includes Chicago, and the five urban counties surrounding it are largely Democratic. But though Illinois has a Democratic governor and Democratic majorities in the state Senate and House, the rest of the state is increasingly Republican, a political professor emeritus says. That may explain why there's a growing movement to split Illinois into two states. Republican state lawmaker Brad Halbrook recently got big applause at an Effingham, Ill., rally when he talked about a bill he reintroduced in February to do just that, reports the Washington Post, which takes a look at the movement that includes grass-roots groups with names like Illinois Separation and New Illinois. Supporters say Chicago has too much influence in Illinois politics; Halbrook went on Fox & Friends Monday to make that argument and call for a "new Illinois."

Some supporters also insist it's not just about politics: While Chicago has a lot of economic power, "one in four jobs [in the state] is related to agriculture, so there is another economic driver," Halbrook says, noting that the rest of Illinois could hold its own economically. The co-founder of New Illinois adds that the issue isn't a "red, blue, Republican and Democrat thing. It’s an urban versus rural thing." The founder of the Illinois Separation blog is calling for counties to introduce nonbinding resolutions to their ballots in an effort to "show the legislature that this is truly what the people want"; one of the state's 102 counties has already decided to do so, and the blog founder says many others are considering it. Experts say the urban vs. rural divide has led to similar movements in California and New York. The Illinois bill has "a long way to go," per the Post; Fox goes further and says it has "virtually no chance of passing."

[bitterross]

1. If I were in Chicago and could make it Canadian....

Hmm. If I lived in Chicago and I could vote to move the border down the lake - I think I would.

[Raven123]

2. Would require consent of Congress

Article IV Sec 3 of the Constitution. Not sure how many votes required. Wonder what Illinois Constitution says.

[Blue_true]

3. I remember when I was in college, there was a big push by pinheads on Nantucket Island

to secede from Massachusetts. Stuff like this comes around every once in a while and then die out.

[Demovictory9]

4. there was big push to split california into 3 states a few years ago... to blunt the impact of SF/LA

on the rest of the state.

[Blue_true]

6. I think that the droughts and fires have put an end to that nonsense.

Red counties see how much they need the rest of the state during times of trouble. And frankly, in a water challenged state, the dry, blue areas of the state need the water resources from the red parts.

[csziggy]

7. And then there is always the Conch Republic!

[Blue_true]

13. I remember that dustup. nt

[csziggy]

20. They still stage the Battle of Key West every year!

(There is video of the 2018 battle but it wasn't as fun)

Here's video of the original kerfuffle:

[pecosbob]

5. Did y'all remember to translate your policy statement from Russian before releasing it this time?

[ret5hd]

16. Da.

[gratuitous]

8. Conservatives keep losing so they want to change the rules

They don't want to tailor a new message to gain popular support, they want to change who is in the voting pool.

Grow up, you fragile little flowers.

[dawg day]

28. I've been impressed with how willing they are to diss "one person-one vote"

They complain about how the cities have more effect on elections because there are too many votes coming from there!
Uh, yeah, that's how voting works. And lord knows, we already have too many laws making rural votes actually count MORE. In my state, 70% of the legislature is from rural areas, though only 50% of the population is, because how the districts are drawn.

[dflprincess]

9. Even as the rural areas of Minnesota get redder

and they complain about the governor being elected by "liberal in the citites" there has been no move to separate the Metro area from the rest of the state. Mainly because us "big city lubruls" are the ones paying the taxes that support the red areas (kind of a micro version of the country as a whole.)

[blueinredohio]

10. That's one of the dumber things I have ever heard.

Then we might as well just separate every state make one democratic and one republican.

[Takket]

11. cool story, and you just eliminated nearly 50% of your new state's tax base. now what?

[mucifer]

12. They are afraid of our Black Lesbian Mayor! This was proposed her inaugural day.

publicity stunt.

[Livluvgrow]

14. Go for it

The state of Chicago sounds good from a born and raised South Sider. Just think all that airport revenue, toll change, taxes collectively from 7 million people, tax collections from 4+ major sports teams, world class arts, fests, classic museums, food, etc times a million and none of that revenue would have to flow south of the far southern exurbs. Sounds like a great deal. No more money down state.

[Wounded Bear]

19. Plus two probably Democratic senators added to the Senate...

Go ahead, throw us into that briar patch.

[Captain Stern]

30. It would actually probably add two Republican Senators.

As things stand now, Illinois already has two Democratic Senators.

If Chicago were to become it's own state it would still have two Democratic Senators, but the rural part of Illinois would mostly likely elect two Republican Senators.

[Celerity]

31. +1

Correct, it would be a disaster.

[bullwinkle428]

15. If they were honest, the separatists should be willing to call it "White Illinois".

[FakeNoose]

17. They'd go broke inside of 5 years

No sales tax revenue, very little in property taxes, not much industry or retail business.
I'd call them "Broke Illinois." Or maybe "Broke White Welfare Illinois."

[Thekaspervote]

18. Once again conservative idiots working against their own best interests

[irisblue]

21. What will the righties do with Champaign-Urbana & the Uni of Illinois?

And the huge computer science programs there? W/O the $ from Chicago, they do not have the ability to be much more then flat.

[bdjhawk]

22. Downstate gets more back from the state than Chicago area

I read a study a year ago (can’t find it right now) that indicated those in downstate IL got something like $1.79 for every $1 paid to the state while Chicago got like $0.84 for every $1 paid. These aren’t exact numbers as I can’t remember but it was notable since I have relatives in Southern IL who constantly bitch about all of the advantages Chicago gets while they get screwed while the facts show the exact opposite. Sadly, like many rural areas in the US, Southern Illinois used to be a blue, union stronghold and is now extremely red.

[smirkymonkey]

23. Ha ha ha!

What a bunch of fucking idiots! Go ahead, do it. I dare you. See how well you do without Chicago, you rubes.

[Totally Tunsie]

25. Geez...

[Maru Kitteh]

26. Even money says this "movement"

began here.

[dawg day]

27. LOL-- Illinois without Chicago would be direly poor

Rural areas in the Midwest are pretty decrepit... there are towns with no jobs, no shops. The kids go to school in another town, and as soon as they graduate-- IF they graduate-- they head out.

"A chip on the shoulder," ruralites, doesn't actually power your economy. Industry and business-- like that all over Chicagoland-- do.

[beachbum bob]

29. All downstate Illinois taxpayers tax rates would go significantly...by huge amount.

Chicago subsidizes downstate Illinois by a huge factor. And the tax savings to Chicago would be huge as they would no longer have to fund downstate Illinois teacher retirements thru the state income tax and downstate would have to actually statr paying the full cost.

Its a huge win for Chicago