New state? 11 Illinois counties to cast non-binding vote on separating from Chicago

There's a growing group of disgruntled Illinois residents who want to explore separating from Cook County and Chicago to form a brand-new state.In the Tuesday, Nov. 3 midterm elections, voters in 11 counties will find a non-binding referendum on their ballot that asks if they would like to consider creating a new 51st state.Who wants to form a new state separate from Cook County?The movement is largely comprised of downstate residents who feel they've been ignored or neglected by Chicago-area lawmakers."Well, the state legislature tends to not take us into consideration when they're making their laws," said Loret Newlin, director of a group called Illinois Separation Referendum. "And so many times what works well for Cook County, and particularly Chicago, is really detrimental to the rest of the state."Cook County may bring in significant income, but Newlin argued it also is responsible for more than its fair share of spending."Cook County is a very expensive, expensive county," she sa