Some people who think downstate gets the short end of the stick in Illinois government want to form a new state. G.H. Merritt, chairman of the board for an organization called New Illinois, wants a state split. She says that’s different from secession, which implies forming a new country. Merritt says Illinois government is corrupt, the people don’t have representative government, and the state’s headed for financial collapse.
“Now people often ask, “Why don’t you just work harder to elect good people?” And it’s like, you mean like, how we’ve been doing for the last 50 years?”
The last state split was in 1863. Several names were proposed for what became West Virginia. Merritt says the name New Illinois isn’t a done deal.
“Some people suggest Lincoln because he was from Illinois. Other people have suggested some kind of Native American name, but of course you don’t want to use a Native American name unless you get permission from the tribe.”…