In the November election, some Illinois counties voted on a nonbinding resolution to create a new state, apart from Cook County and Chicago. For those counties who were able to vote on the resolution, it passed, overwhelmingly.
Representative, LaShawn Ford(D-Chicago) stated:
"I think the benefits of Chicago outweighs the negatives of the entire state,” Ford said.
Others who want to split from Chicago to create a new state have said Chicago’s crime is a problem.
“The people in downstate Illinois, in rural parts of Illinois, believe it or not as I’ve said, they benefit from the crime that happens in Chicago because they have the prisons that they're able to have jobs and an economy based on the crime that’s happening in Chicago,” Ford said.
If crimes pays, Illinois would be the richest state in the Union.
