Voters in seven Illinois counties will have the opportunity to join the 33 counties that have already approved ballot measures considering the formation of a new state.

Upcoming votes on the matter are scheduled for November in Coles, Gallatin, Hamilton, Henderson, Macoupin, Monroe, and Saline counties.

State Representative Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) stated that citizens are frustrated with what is happening in Springfield.

“They don't believe things are going to change for the better,” Rep. Halbrook said in an interview with The Center Square.

He noted that Governor J.B. Pritzker has added more than 60 new taxes over the past eight years.

“Billions of dollars have been transferred from the citizens and businesses into the state budget or state finances,” Halbrook said.

Moving beyond ballot measures, Halbrook introduced a resolution on February 20 of last year urging the state legislature to declare 101 of Illinois’ 102 counties—excluding Cook County—as the 51st state of the United States.

The Indiana legislature has pursued legislation to consider incorporating certain Illinois counties into Indiana. Last year, an Iowa lawmaker also introduced a bill to incorporate several counties in western Illinois into Iowa.

In recent years, voters in several eastern Oregon counties passed ballot measures in favor of joining Idaho, though proposals to alter the state’s borders have not gained traction.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has referred to the possibility of Illinois counties seceding as a “stunt.”

Halbrook acknowledged that separating from Cook County would be an uphill battle, as the Democratic supermajority in Cook County would not pass his resolution.

“At the very least, we need to have a conversation. I think that’s the most important thing. Why are people trying to do this? Why do they not want to stay in Illinois? If you look at what has actually happened this spring and summer, even the Chicago Bears are discussing a potential move to neighboring Indiana. Why is this happening?” said Rep. Halbrook.

When asked about pushing for secession from Illinois rather than trying to effect change within Cook County, Halbrook responded that the situation would only change if the laws were changed.

“That is not the priority of the majority of the legislators. We are seeing their priorities, and that is leading to these increased costs and the many other issues we have discussed here,” he said.

Meanwhile, while the movement to create a 51st state called 'New Illinois' has gained significant support among local residents, the legal and political barriers are so high that the actual likelihood of separation is considered very low.

From 2020 to 2024, 33 counties have passed separation resolutions by overwhelming margins, and 48 counties have formed 'separation committees.' Additionally, the seven counties of Henderson, Coles, Macoupin, Monroe, Hamilton, Saline, and Gallatin have approved placing the issue on the ballot for the upcoming November election.

In reality, for a state to split, it would require official approval from the Illinois General Assembly. However, the current legislature is dominated by a Democratic supermajority that opposes such a separation, making approval highly unlikely.

Even if the state legislature were to agree, final approval would require passage by the U.S. Congress and the signature of the President.

In U.S. history, there have been only four instances where a new state was formed from an existing one and admitted as a formal state of the Union: the separation of Kentucky from Virginia (1792), Tennessee from North Carolina (1796), Maine from Massachusetts (1820), and West Virginia from Virginia (1863).

U.S. NNP = CEO & Correspondent Hong Sung-goo / Special Correspondence info@newsandpost.com