Illinois lawmakers hope to de-state Chicago by making the Windy City the 51st state.
The bill, HR0101, filed in February by Republican Rep. Brad Halbrook, has made it through the first round of review. Politicians say the state is viewed as two regions — Chicago, the third-largest city in the U.S. with 2.7 million residents, and Illinois with 12.7 million residents. Chicago and Illinois disagree on many political and economic issues, including immigration, abortion rights, and gun ownership.
The formation of a new state from part of an existing one requires approval from Congress under the U.S. Constitution.
It should be noted that Brad Halbrook co-sponsored a similar bill last year, but it failed. Experts believe that this year’s attempt has even less chance of success in the Democrat-controlled Congress.