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'Sometimes splitting is a good thing': An Illinois movement aims to be the 51st state

NPR | By Connor O'Neill
Published June 15, 2026 at 5:21 PM EDT

A third of Illinois counties have passed resolutions seeking to separate from the city of Chicago. People in these rural counties resent what they see as disproportionate power wielded by Chicago.

Copyright 2026 NPR
Connor O'Neill