‘New 51st state’: Huge sign that America is in ‘crisis’
Just weeks into Donald Trump’s presidency, a bizarre and unsettling trend is taking over the United States.
Intense political polarisation is pushing yet another American state towards secession.
This time, rural and regional counties in Illinois want to dump their urban cousins.
It’s part of a movement sweeping across the United States.
Democrat and Republican communities no longer want to have anything to do with each other.
Their differences, they insist, are irreconcilable.
Washington DC House Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene’s call for a “national divorce” has former partners headed to court.
She wants a New United States divided into red (Republican) and blue (Democrat) districts under a dramatically weakened federal government.
“Everyone I talk to says this,” Ms Greene said in 2023.
“From the sick and disgusting woke culture issues shoved down our throats to the Democrats’ traitorous America Last policies, we are done.”
Indiana has moved to turn words into action.
The state legislature has voted 69-25 to embrace any neighbouring Illinois county that wants to switch allegiance.
But it may not be an easy win for Republican-dominated Indiana.
The 33 Prairie State Republican counties that have voted to secede want to create a new, independent 51st state – not simply to hand control to yet another group of townies.
Even Republican stronghold Indiana may not be Republican enough for them.
“Our biggest grievance is that we are not represented,” says Gina Merrit, chairwoman of the secessionist New Illinois movement.
“We don’t have government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Our governor accuses us of wanting to kick Chicago out of Illinois. Not so. We want to kick ourselves out of Illinois.”
Union of discontent
At the heart of the crisis is the dominance held by a single city over the Illinois state government.
Illinois has a population of about 13 million. Half of these live in the greater Chicago area.
The city and its suburbs also represent the State’s most significant single grouping of electoral districts. These tend to elect Democrat representatives. Illinois rural electorates are resolutely Republican.
Now, Prairie farmers are upset, complaining of high taxes and a bitter cultural divide.
Illinois separatists say they “no longer consent to being governed by the Cook County-dominated legislature.” Cook is the county that encompasses downtown Chicago.
Indiana Republican House Speaker Todd Huston has introduced House Bill 1008 to create a special task force. The Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission will explore the feasibility of transferring district council administrations and drawing up new borders with Illinois.
“Hey, we’d love to have you,” he said in favour of a switch, not a secession.
“You know what? We always think it’s better to be growing than it is to meet the alternative.”
Indiana’s economy is relatively healthy, and its population is growing.
“We think we have a heck of a lot to offer,” Mr Huston remarked
Illinois Governor Jay Pritzker – a Democrat – isn’t convinced.
“I’ll just say Indiana is a low-wage state that doesn’t protect workers, a state that does not provide health care for people when they’re in need,” he retorted.
“So I don’t think it’s attractive for anybody in Illinois where wages are higher, where the standard of living is higher, and we do provide health care for people in need.”
Republican heartland
The Hoosier (corn) State may not be as attractive an option to Illinois secessionists as it believes.
Its capital, Indianapolis, is largely represented by Marion County. This has, in recent years, become something of a swing electorate. The second-most populated county, Lake County, is one of the State’s few resolute Democrat strongholds.
The townie-country divide is almost as strong in the Hoosier State as it is in the Prairie State.
The idea of Illinois rural counties seceding arose in 2020. A total of 33 have since conducted “advisory referendums” within their electorates.
However, the proposal they made to voters was not about switching allegiance.
Instead, the referendums specifically asked county voters if they wanted to create an independent 51st state without an urban heartland.
Indiana thinks it has a better offer.
“We don’t want to see our neighbours to the west languish,” Mr Huston said.
“Ultimately, their success or failure affects our own success or failure. But it’s up to them to change their course.”
Indiana House Bill 1008 will now be passed to the State’s Senate. If passed, it would still need to be accepted by the Illinois legislature before being ratified by the US Congress.
“In the meantime, to Illinois counties and residents feeling unheard and under-represented, we hear you,” Mr Huston said.
“We’d like to invite you to come back home again to Indiana.”
New Illinois chairwoman Gina Merritt has told her members they have much in common with the neighbouring State. This includes belief in reduced taxes and less government oversight and services.
“We very much appreciate that you see us, that you hear us, that you empathise with our experience. We wish our own state government would do the same,” Ms Merritt said.
“We thank the leadership of Indiana for recognising our pain.”
Jamie Seidel is a freelance writer | @jamieseidel.bsky.social
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