A bill aimed at redrawing the Indiana-Illinois border passed out of the Indiana House Thursday with the Speaker of the House suggesting that other Midwestern states join Indiana.

House Bill 1008, authored by Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, has been panned by Illinois leaders as a stunt. On the House floor before the vote, Huston once again emphasized Indiana’s tax rates and rattled off economic statistics and framed his measure as a way to highlight the state’s progress.

A bill to redraw the Indiana-Illinois border received initial approval Monday in an Indiana House committee, but some Illinois supporters prefer to establish a new state.

An Indiana House committee has approved House Bill 1008, sponsored by Speaker Todd Huston, to establish an Indiana-Illinois boundary adjustment commission, which would be tasked with researching the possibility of redrawing the states' boundaries.

House Bill 1008 would create a commission of people from Illinois and Indiana to discuss the possibility of Indiana annexing counties from Illinois.

House Bill 1008 from Republican House Speaker Todd Huston would create a commission to study how 33 Illinois counties could join Indiana.

Indiana lawmakers debate immigration bill

House Republicans approved a bill Thursday to enhance Indiana’s role in enforcing federal immigration law. Rep. J.D. Prescott’s (R-Union City) bill would give the attorney general’s office more authority to investigate businesses that might be employing undocumented immigrants — and creates penalties for those that do.