Commission meeting raises questions about annexation initiative intent
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When Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston introduced a bill to annex Illinois counties earlier this year, the Fishers Republican insisted it was a serious offer, but a person involved with Illinois' secession movement says she was told otherwise.
Why it matters: A state commission has been created — costing time and money — to look at absorbing at least some of the southern Illinois counties that want to separate from the state government they say is run by Chicago Democrats who don't represent their interests.
Driving the news: The Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission met Wednesday for the first time since it was created by House Enrolled Act 1008 in the last legislative session.
- So far, Illinois has declined to participate, so it was just the Indiana contingent that met at Indiana State University in Terre Haute and heard from leaders within the movement to divide Illinois.
State of play: Since 2020, 33 Illinois counties have voted to explore the possibility of seceding.
- While some advocacy groups are interested in Indiana's offer, others said they are afraid that Indiana taking some counties would doom others that want to create a new state of their own.
Reality check: Any boundary change would need to be approved by state governments in both Indiana and Illinois, plus Congress.
- So far, the issue has been a nonstarter with Illinois lawmakers and Gov. JB Pritzker.
The intrigue: Huston may have been counting on that when he introduced the bill earlier this year.
- G.H. Merritt, chair of the New Illinois campaign to create a new state, told the commission she got a call from Huston's office to talk about the New Illinois campaign and she asked why Indiana would want to take on Illinois' counties and the debt that would come with them.
- She said they told her the bill was intended to "send a message" to Illinois and Chicago leaders.
- "What he told me is that Indiana knew this was never going to happen," she said.
The other side: That seems to contradict what Huston said during the legislative session, when he insisted the bill — which was a House GOP priority bill — was more than just messaging. It was a serious offer, he told reporters at the time.
- When asked about Merritt's comments Wednesday, a spokesperson for Huston said he "always pursued this in earnest while acknowledging it was not very likely that Illinois would make their appointments to the Commission."
- "When a third of counties in Illinois have expressed their dissatisfaction and voted to secede from their state, I'd say you should take that seriously," Huston told Axios in a statement. "We certainly take it seriously, we hear their frustrations, and we welcome them to the Hoosier State."
- "I look forward to hearing the Commission's recommendations on a path forward, and if and when Illinois comes to the table, we will be ready."
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a comment from Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston.