The look of our nation would change drastically if the ideas of Dr. Robert Marshall take hold.

Marshall, a radiologist who lives in Berwyn, says he wants to redistribute the nation’s population by dividing the ten most populous states into smaller ones. This would create an America of perhaps 75 states and, thus, about 150 U.S. Senators.

Illinois would become four states: Chicago and the rest of Cook County would be two, and Interstate 80 would divide the rest of Illinois into the other two.

South Illinois could also be home to the nation’s capital. Marshall says the “New York – Washington power axis” must be broken up; somewhere such as East St Louis is a better place to conduct the nation’s business, and moving the capital there would create jobs, he says, “from Peoria to Metropolis.”

Marshall, who says he was shut out of Democrat Day activities at the Illinois State Fair, ran in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary in 2010.

In other State news,the nannies and housekeepers of Illinois would have the same protections and benefits as many other workers, under a “Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights” which is a Senate vote away from going to the governor.

A legislative liaison from the Illinois Department of Labor, Chris Wieneke, said the administration opposes the law because it would cost $300,000 to enforce.

HB 1288 has passed the Senate Executive Committee.