West Virginia state senator invites over two dozen Maryland, Virginia counties to join state

A West Virginia GOP state senator has formally introduced a resolution that invited 30 counties across Maryland and Virginia to join the state.

State Sen. Chris Rose officially introduced the proposal, amid Democrats' efforts in the adjacent state to redraw their respective congressional maps to help them gain House seats. 

His proposal invites 27 counties in Virginia and three in Maryland. But the counties would need approval from ongress and their respective legislatures.

"By uniting, we can foster economic growth, better infrastructure, and a stronger voice for Appalachia," Rose said.

Rose said the merging could also appeal to voters in those states who feel their elected officials have not sufficiently addressed such issue as Second Amendment rights, economic development and rural representation. 

The proposal, while not unprecedented, faces a lengthy process and long-shot odds. Congress has approved changes to state boundaries only three times in American history. The first time was in 1792, when Kentucky was carved out of Virginia, and the last was in 1862, when it admitted counties that were previously in Virginia as part of West Virginia.

The other change to state lines occurred in 1820, when Congress cut Maine out of Massachusetts, The Hill reported.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.