An Indiana House committee has advanced a bill that would adopt several Illinois counties that indicated they wanted to secede from the state. House Bill 1008 passed the Committee on Government and Regulatory Reform on Monday.

A measure aimed at allowing Indiana to absorb 33 counties in Illinois that have voted in recent years to leave the state has cleared its first legislative hurdle, but the effort faces a major uphill battle.

"The colonial battlecry, 'no taxation without representation,' is our reality," said G. H. Merritt, chair of the nonprofit New Illinois, a group whose primary goal is forming an entirely new state. "We thank the leadership of Indiana for recognizing our pain.

At least 33 Illinois counties, including Madison County, Iroquois County, Calhoun County, Clinton County, Green County, Jersey County, and Perry County, have voted on a non-binding measure to consider splitting from Chicago and Cook County and forming a new state.

Indiana lawmakers have advanced legislation that would have the state swallow up some Illinois counties. It would take action by legislatures in both states to make this happen as well as the United States Congress.