Imagine Indiana and Illinois using the strengths of their economies to help both states grow, even as they compete.

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 proposal to have several Illinois counties join Indiana has advanced to the Indiana Senate after passing the House on Thursday.