I LOVE This Proposed Illinois-Indiana Territory Trade
(source)--A bill aiming to explore the possibility of a land exchange between Illinois and Indiana took a step closer to reality in the Indiana legislature.
The bill, which would establish an “Indiana-Illinois boundary adjustment commission,” passed on a party-line vote in the House on Thursday, and was referred to the state’s Senate on Friday.
That legislation comes as more than 30 Illinois counties have passed referendums expressing a desire to explore the possibility of severing ties with Illinois over what they believe to be a stark difference in values and ideals from those of Cook County, where a plurality of the state’s population resides and most of the state’s political power is centered.
The Indiana bill was authored by House Speaker Todd Huston, and passed through committee and the full House last week.
“To all of our neighbors in the west, we hear your frustrations and invite you to join us in low-cost, low-tax Indiana,” Huston has said, according to the Indianapolis Star.
Downstate Illinois has had enough...again. I love it. I remember writing about a few Illinois state congressmen from a place down state nobody has ever heard of back at the old Farmers Insurance office. Glad to see the dream to leave Chicago isn't dead. In fact, it's more creative than ever. Back then the motion was just to have Cook County/Chicagoland become it's own state and Illinois the rest of the counties in Illinois would be indistinguishable from Iowa. Corn and soy as far as the eye can see. More livestock than people. Not for me, but to each their own.
This new proposal gets me all gassed up. We haven't had any new states or any new borders drawn in a generation or more. This trade looks GREAT for Illinois. Almost too good to be true.
In one fell swoop Illinois would gain the Indiana Illinois Dunes
Chicago would get it's favorite college football team inside of State lines
And all the revenue generated by the Horseshoe Casino by people from Chicago. No more getting absolutely BANGED by tolls on I-90 once we cross state lines too.
All we'd have to give up is farmland and like East St Louis. Good deal. Great deal.
Can't get something for nothing though. Illinois would be taking on a couple of bad contracts to make this deal work. We'd have to accept Purdue as a state school. Gross. We'd also officially own Gary. That's tough. We love shit talking Gary. Won't hit the same if it's our own state. I was really hoping we'd get Larry Bird as part of this, but looks like French Lick would still be in the Indiana borders. I honestly just want a little state hot-stove action. This could start a trend. Eastern Washington leaves the Seattle/Tacoma population for Idaho. Split up California into 5 states. Just spice it up.