These voters can voice their opinion on breaking away from Chicago to form 51st state
Bond County voters are being asked for their opinion in a non-binding referendum about whether downstate Illinoisans should work to create a new state separate from Chicago.
County Clerk Meg A. Sybert said the advisory referendum was placed on the Tuesday, Nov. 3 ballot after a petition drive was organized by residents. They collected about 600 signatures, according to the petition sheets submitted to the county.
If the referendum is approved, Bond County Board members would be asked to talk to county board members in other counties about “the possibility of separating from the city of Chicago to form a new state.”
Here’s the text of the “Bond County Proposition to Discuss Illinois Separation” referendum:
“Shall the board of Bond County correspond with the boards of the other counties of this state outside of Cook County, and with the municipalities of Cook County outside of the city of Chicago, about the possibility of separating from the city of Chicago to form a new state, and to seek admission to the union as such, subject to the approval of the people?”
The issue of Illinois residents breaking away from the city of Chicago to form a new state has been previously discussed.
On Facebook, you can check out the Illinois Separation page that has nearly 30,000 followers.
ProPublica Illinois reported in April that State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, introduced legislation last year “that urged Congress to declare Chicago the nation’s 51st state.” However, the measure did not get out of the rules committee, according to ProPublica.
John S. Jackson, a visiting professor at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, told ProPublica that the issue has “no chance” at advancing.
A study by the institute in 2018 shows that downstate counties, for the most part, get back more funding than what they send to Springfield.
But state Sen. Sen. Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo, who is not seeking reelection Tuesday, told the BND two years ago that Southern Illinois residents who want to separate from Chicago are not upset about the amount of money they receive. Instead, he said the argument for separation is often supported by people who oppose Chicago-based lawmakers on issues such as abortion rights and the Second Amendment.
