How do we go about making Southern Illinois a State?

Under Article IV, Section Three of the United States Constitution, which outlines the relationship among the states, Congress has the power to admit new states to the union. The states are required to give "full faith and credit" to the acts of each other's legislatures and courts, which is generally held to include the recognition of legal contracts, marriages, and criminal judgments. The states are guaranteed military and civil defense by the federal government, which is also obligated by Article IV, Section Four, to "guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government."

New states are admitted into the Union by the precedents and procedures established by the Northwest Ordinance. Following the precedent established by the Enabling Act of 1802, an Enabling Act must be passed by Congress as a prerequisite to admission. The act authorizes the people of a territory to frame a constitution, and lays down the requirements that must be met prior to consideration for statehood.

The logistics of bringing about Southern Illinois Statehood are fairly simple.
First, a petition to request a State wide referendum to consider the question;
Second, a request to Congress to pass an Enabling Act;
Next, a constitutional convention and the drafting of a constitution for the new State;
And finally, fulfill other requirements as directed by Congress.

WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS STATEHOOD.
http://www.thecaperock.com/articles/2001/06/little-egypt

CHRONIC HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT & POVERTY

In January 2009 seven of the 21 counties of deep Southern Illinois had unemployment rates of more than 10%.

COUNTIES % UNEMPLOYMENT

Franklin 12.2%

Hamilton 10.0%

Hardin 10.6%

Perry 12.4%

Pope 10.2%

Pulaski 10.7%

Union 11.9%

Overall there were 17,623 people unemployed in January in a labor force of 189,697. The twenty-one counties have an overall unemployment rate of 9.3% while the State as a whole has a rate of 8.5% and the national rate of 7.6%.

This is not at all unusual for the economy of the southernmost counties of Illinois. And as long as Illinois State government is dominated by Chicago our southern economy will continue to be neglected.

In the 2000 census the State median household income was $46,500.

At that time the median household income for the southernmost counties of Illinois was $29,200. That is 63% of the state median household income—Southern Illinoisans earned 63 cents on the dollar compared to the State average. For those over 65 years of age living in Southern Illinois it is even worse. Their median household income was only $24,300. That is only 52% of the state median household income!

To put these figures in perspective; an income of $23,650 puts a family of three below the poverty level.

More resent surveys indicate that 24% of the people, and 57% of the children, of Cairo live in poverty while 42% of the children of Pulaski county live in poverty. Over 70,000 Southern Illinoisans live in poverty!

It is time to take our economic development in our own hands, and the surest way to do that is to control our own affairs as a sovereign State! Southern Illinois will never prosper as long as we are dominated by Chicago politics. We cannot do worse on our own and I am convinced we can do a lot better! One hundred and ninety years of being second class citizens in our own State is long enough. It’s time to separate and go our own way.

IT’S TIME FOR SOUTHERN ILLINOIS STATEHOOD!

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