Gov. Mike Braun appointed five members to the Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission, which is one member less than the quorum needed for the commission to have voting power.
Indiana House Enrolled Act 1008, authored by Speaker Todd Huston, established an Indiana-Illinois boundary adjustment commission to research the possibility of adjusting the boundaries between the two states.
Huston, R-Fishers, said he drafted the bill after learning that 33 Illinois counties have voted to secede from their state, including seven in November, since 2020.
“I look forward to continuing to tell Indiana’s story and share why the Hoosier state is a great place to live, work, start and grow a business, and raise a family,” Huston said Wednesday.
Under the law, which Braun signed May 1, Indiana could have six members and Illinois could have five members. A quorum of six members is required for the commission to take official action, the law states, but a quorum isn’t required for the commission to meet, listen to testimony and hold discussion.
Braun announced Tuesday his five appointments to the board, which the law states that no more than four members can be of the same political party. The commission will meet for the first time Dec. 1, and the members will arrange the time and location, said Griffin Reid, Braun’s spokesman.
- Greg Newman, a certified public accountant and partner with Kemper CPA Group. Newman, a Republican, is from Posey County.
- Former Republican State Rep. Donald Lehe, of White County.
- Clay Andrews, a Republican Warren County Commissioner and sixth generation farmer.
- Jeff Papa, chief of staff and general counsel for the Indiana State Senate. Papa, a Republican, is from Boone County.
- Ray McCammon, a Democratic Sullivan County Commissioner.
Braun intends to appoint a sixth member, Reid said, but he did not elaborate further.
When selecting the members, Braun took into consideration members from counties that are closest to counties that voted to secede, which is why three of the members are from counties that border Illinois, Reid said.
No one on the commission is from Northwest Indiana because none of the Illinois counties that voted to secede are near Northwest Indiana, Reid said.
The commission has been tasked with discussing and recommending whether the boundary between Indiana and Illinois should be adjusted, according to the law. Within 60 days of completing its work, the commission will have to submit a written report to the general assembly, the law states.
“The governor will let the commission work diligently in studying the issue at hand and they will provide the best recommendation on how to move forward,” Reid said.
Ultimately, the commission’s recommendation to adjust the boundary would have to be approved by the Indiana legislature, the Illinois legislature and the U.S. Congress, according to the law.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker brushed off the proposal — and fired back at the neighboring state — when he was asked about it at an unrelated news conference in January.
“It’s a stunt. It’s not going to happen,” Pritzker said. “But I’ll just say that Indiana is a low-wage state that doesn’t protect workers, a state that does not provide health care for people in need, and so I don’t think it’s very attractive for anybody in Illinois.”
Illinois State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, filed Illinois House Bill 1500 and it “does similar things and is comparable to the Indiana bill,” he previously said.
Illinois House Bill 1500 states that if Indiana House Bill 1008 becomes law then, within 60 days after receiving notice from the Governor of Indiana, the Illinois Governor should appoint five members to the Illinois-Indiana boundary adjustment commission.
Halbrook said Wednesday that he commended Braun for his appointments to the commission as the members “bring valuable experience, and their participation marks an important step in facilitating dialogue about the future of governance and representation in our region.”
With the Illinois legislature’s upcoming fall veto session, Halbrook called on Pritzker and Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch to advance Illinois House Bill 1500.
“Without Illinois participation, this commission remains one-sided and incomplete. The people of our state deserve to be represented in this important conversation,” Halbrook said. “One state cannot simply adopt the counties of another — that is not constitutionally sound. However, the fact that these discussions are even taking place is a powerful reflection of the growing unrest among citizens living under the unchecked, one-party rule in Illinois.”
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When asked how the commission’s work will be impacted if Illinois doesn’t appoint members or create a similar commission, Reid said Braun won’t speculate on Illinois activity.