Downstate Counties to Vote on Non-Binding Measure to Split From Cook County

Voters in 11 Illinois counties and several townships will consider a non-binding referendum in November asking whether they want to separate from Cook County and form a new state, according to Loret Newlin, director of the group Illinois Separation.

Newlin told Fox News Digital the push reflects frustration among residents outside the Chicago area who feel state lawmakers ignore their concerns in favor of policies that benefit Cook County.

“Our area is not taken into consideration when laws are being made,” Newlin said. “There’s definitely more focus on them, and the laws are centered to benefit Chicago and Cook [County].”

“There is a lot of area outside of Cook that should have been taken into consideration,” she added.

The referendum effort relies on Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, the same constitutional provision used when West Virginia split off to become its own state in 1863.

Newlin cited a proposed per-mile tax for drivers, introduced in the Illinois legislature by state Sen. Ram Villivalam, whose district includes part of Chicago, as an example of policy she believes disproportionately burdens rural residents, farmers and truckers who don’t have access to Chicago’s public transit system.

“It’s a long way to a lot of important things for people who live in downstate. A lot of our businesses rely on transportation. One of our biggest industries down here is truckers, farmers. And the commute to a job is usually a little farther and we don’t have the option of taking the Chicago public transit system,” Newlin said. “And we tried to defeat this in 2019 and succeeded, but as typical, they won’t take no for an answer.”

Newlin also pointed to the SAFE-T Act, the 2021 law signed by Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker that eliminated cash bail and changed how judges decide whether defendants are detained or released before trial. She said she is “not happy” with the law and believes it “really benefits the criminals,” citing its effect on Chicago.

Pritzker has opposed the separation movement. A spokesperson for his office previously told NBC Chicago the effort is a “stunt” that is “not going to happen.” Fox News Digital said it reached out to Pritzker and Villivalam for comment.