Let’s be honest. Indiana’s newly minted “Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission” isn’t about redrawing maps. It’s about drawing attention.
Governor Mike Braun’s appointment of five Hoosiers to this so-called commission — Greg Newman, Don Lehe, Clay Andrews, Jeff Papa, and Ray McCammon — comes with lofty language about “welcoming” disillusioned Illinois counties. But let’s not kid ourselves: no county is about to secede from Illinois and join Indiana. Not without Congress, courts, and both states signing off — an almost impossible political and legal gauntlet.
Meanwhile, Illinois hasn’t even bothered to show up to the table. House Bill 1500, their version of the commission law, died in committee months ago. That means Indiana’s commission can meet, chat, and shuffle papers — but they can’t actually vote on a thing.
So why do it? The answer is as plain as the campaign trail. Republicans in Indiana get to wag a finger across the state line, remind voters that Illinois taxes are higher, and look like they’re extending a hand to “rescue” unhappy neighbors. It’s red-meat politics dressed up as statecraft.
Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston bragged that the Hoosier state offers affordability, economic opportunity, and a better business climate. Fair enough. But if Indiana is truly confident in its advantages, does it need a fake commission to prove it?
At best, this is political theater. At worst, it’s a distraction from real issues that deserve real work — issues like infrastructure, education, and keeping Hoosiers here instead of dangling an empty welcome sign at the Illinois border.
For now, the only thing the Boundary Adjustment Commission seems poised to adjust is the patience of anyone paying attention.