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.

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

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 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.