Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called a bill proposed in the Republican-led Indiana General Assembly that would explore how Illinois counties could secede and join Indiana “a stunt” that is “not going to happen.”
The bill, which was unveiled Tuesday as one of the priorities of House Republicans, was filed by House Speaker Todd Huston, the most powerful lawmaker in the House. House Bill 1008 would create the Indiana-Illinois boundary adjustment commission to discuss whether boundaries of the two states can be adjusted to allow Illinois counties to join Indiana.
The debate follows November elections where many rural counties in southern and central parts of Illinois voted to explore seceding from the state. The Illinois attorney general has previously expressed skepticism about the ability for counties to do so, and Pritzker voiced the same in a video clip posted to X Wednesday where he slammed the bill and Indiana’s quality of life.
“It’s a stunt. It’s not going to happen,” Pritzker said in response to a question about the secession bill. “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, and 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.”
The debate over the bill shows a clash between states led by two different political parties. Illinois has a Democratic governor in Pritzker and a Democratic-controlled state legislature. Indiana has Republican supermajorities in both chambers of the Statehouse and it’s newest Republican governor, Mike Braun, was sworn in Monday.
While Pritzker called the bill a “stunt,” Huston on Tuesday called it a “serious proposal.”
“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 said.
IndyStar reporters Hayleigh Colombo and Kayla Dwyer contributed to this story.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker responds to Indiana’s secession bill