Illinois SEPARATION꞉ 33 Counties Approved, 12 More on the Ballot!!!

Overview

The video argues that county-level votes on separation in Illinois reflect growing dissatisfaction with the state’s political divide, particularly between Chicago and Cook County and rural downstate communities. The presenter says rural residents feel persistently outvoted on issues including taxes, policing, guns, education, immigration, and the role of government.

County Votes

According to the video, 33 Illinois counties have approved nonbinding measures since 2020 encouraging local officials to discuss separation. The video cites the Illinois Separation Organization and reports average support of about 74%.

Further questions are due to appear on November 3 ballots. The subtitles give inconsistent figures for the upcoming vote: 11 counties in one passage and 12 county areas later. These votes would not change boundaries; they would authorize or encourage discussions about what separation might involve.

Proposed Separation and Comparisons

The proposed plan would create a new state from areas outside Cook County, rather than transfer them to a neighboring state.

The video compares the effort with the Greater Idaho movement, in which rural eastern Oregon counties seek to join Idaho. It argues that both movements respond to the perceived political dominance of large urban centers. The presenter describes them as forms of “internal” or “soft” secession: reorganizing state boundaries while remaining within the United States, unlike movements for national independence.

Legal Process and Purpose

The presenter notes that county referendums cannot redraw borders. Under the constitutional process described in the video, creating a state from existing state territory would require approval from the affected state’s legislature and Congress. Greater Idaho would also require agreement from Oregon and Idaho.

The measures are presented as a way to document discontent and build political pressure, not as an immediate path to separation. More broadly, the video interprets these efforts as a desire to change political boundaries rather than force people to leave their homes and communities.

Presenter and Contributor

• Presenter: Dr. Steve Turley
• Mentioned in a sponsor segment: Troy Nan, the Backpack Trader, is promoted but does not contribute to the discussion.