Texas is no longer the only state Virginia lawmakers are currently quarreling with. Earlier this month, West Virginia state senator Chris Rose created a resolution that invites 33 Virginia counties and three Maryland counties to join the Mountain State.
The original resolution invited 30 Virginia and Maryland counties to join West Virginia, but after “overwhelming interest and support,” Rose announced that the resolution has expanded to include six additional Virginia counties: Amherst, Bedford, Botetourt, Floyd, Pulaski, and Rockbridge. The state senator also shared a petition for proponents of the resolution to sign.
The 36 counties invited were selected based on their “geographic, economic, cultural, and historical connections with West Virginia, including a strong Appalachian heritage, rural lifestyles, and a focus on individual liberties.”
“This resolution is about empowering communities to choose governance that truly reflects their values and needs,” Rose said in a recent release. “West Virginia was born from the spirit of self-determination, and we’re extending that invitation to our neighbors who share our way of life. By uniting, we can foster economic growth, better infrastructure, and a stronger voice for Appalachia.”
Rose isn’t the only West Virginia politician to have a similar thought. After Virginia’s state elections earlier this month, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey chimed in on results, stating, “It’s about to get awful blue in the commonwealth of Virginia. Don’t wait for the high taxes to heavy regulations to come, now is your chance to escape to wild and wonderful West Virginia.”
Additional Virginia counties invited to join West Virginia include Alleghany, Augusta, Bath, Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Clarke, Craig, Dickenson, Frederick, Giles, Grayson, Highland, Lee, Page, Patrick, Rappahannock, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Tazewell, Warren, Washington, Wise, and Wythe. The three Maryland counties include Allegany, Garrett, and Washington.
The resolution needs to be passed by the West Virginia legislatures and approved by the Virginia and Maryland legislatures and Congress in order for it to become a reality. When Sen. Tim Kaine was asked about the resolution by West Virginia’s News 5, he said, “I wasn’t aware of it and it’s not going to happen.”
Feature image, Lulla/stock.adobe.com
