Republican state Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) is starting to view his resolution to legally separate Chicago and Cook County from the rest of the state as a win-win proposition.
“I think everyone would benefit from it,” Halbrook told Chambana Sun. “More recently, I’ve talked with people from the city who are starting to believe they might be better off. Hopefully, the impact would be beneficial to everyone.”
Halbrook has no doubt that would be the case for his downstate constituents from the 102nd District and beyond.
Illinois State Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville)
“There is a growing disconnect between folks in the city and the rest of Illinois,” he said. “There’s a difference of ideas when it comes to family values, having the ability to protect one’s self and the ability to choose what’s right as far as how we educate our kids. On top of that, all these bad social policies are leading to many of these bad financial decisions.”
At a separatism-themed rally at the Effingham Performance Center earlier this month, Halbrook shared his views with a crowd of more than 1,500, many of whom rose to their feet in applause when he asked “Who wants to separate from Chicago and Cook County?”
Halbrook now says the rally was only the beginning.
“Momentum for House Resolution 101 is building every day now,” he said. “I officially filed the legislation back in early February and we’re still hearing talk about it every week. Going forward, we plan to talk about it in town hall meetings this spring, summer and fall as we educate more and more people. Over the long haul, we’re convinced only more people will join in with us as they become more educated about what this could truly mean.”
Alerts Sign-up