A push to sever connections between the City of Chicago and the state government with downstate Illinois to form a new state is gaining traction.

New Illinois is a non-partisan nonprofit that hopes to form a new state to better represent rural Illinois citizens, one of several groups around the state taking up the effort. G. H. Merrit, cofounder and State Chairman of the organization says what matters to her group is the will of the people.

New Illinois has been holding meetings around the state to spread awareness and information to potential supporters. Merrit says there are currently pushes in other states, including California and Oregon, to give power back to rural parts of the state by forming new states in the union.