New Illinois movement gains steam after election

Context: Cook County Democrats and downstate Republicans have fought over controlling Illinois for years.

• Though this movement seems political, organizers of the ballot referendum disagree. "It's more of a cultural divide," Loret Newlin from the Illinois Separation Referendum previously told Axios.
• The movement isn't to secede from the state, but to split the state by separating all counties from Cook County and Chicago.

State of play: With the latest round of referendums, 33 counties (out of 102) have voted to split.

What they're saying: "I think this movement becomes more and more realistic as time goes on," GH Merritt, founder of the New Illinois State movement, tells Axios.

• "I don't like the fact that our country is so polarized. On the other hand, why is that happening? I think within Illinois there are reasons why it's gotten this way, and people are dissatisfied."

Zoom out: Merritt founded the movement in 2018 and was inspired by separatist movements in states like California and Colorado.

• "It's not a matter of Democrat versus Republican. People are just feeling that sense of being disenfranchised on both sides."

Between the lines: Non-binding referendums may not be the right course of action to solve political polarization. Merritt points out that the U.S. Constitution allows states to split, with majority consent from the state's General Assembly and the U.S. Congress.

• The last time this happened was when West Virginia split from Virginia during the Civil War.

Reality check: State leaders, including Gov. JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul, have thrown cold water on even entertaining the idea.

• "The idea that someplace in Illinois wants to kick out another place in Illinois should not be on the ballot, shouldn't be something that's part of the lexicon and discussion of politicians," Pritzker said this year.
• Detractors have said splitting from Cook County would be impossible, not just politically, but also because the bulk of the state's taxes come from the Chicago area. Local taxes generate millions of dollars for the rest of the state.

Yes, but: Merritt sees that as a reason for Cook County politicians and residents to get behind this movement.

• "This could really help Chicago and Cook County economically," Merritt says. "The rest of the state would no longer be a drag on them financially. In turn, New Illinois could lower taxes and regulations."

State of play: Illinois gets millions in tax revenue from Cook County, and vice versa. Chicago faces a nearly billion-dollar deficit in its 2025 budget and Mayor Brandon Johnson accuses the state of being delinquent on funding for city schools.

The bottom line: While separating Illinois into two states is unlikely to happen in the near future, voters are suggesting that leaders take it seriously.

• "When we started, this idea was considered more radical or crazy, but more and more, I see it moving into the mainstream of thought."