Five Lawmakers Want Three Western Maryland Counties To Join West Virginia

3 years ago 370

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — Five Republican lawmakers from Maryland’s 3 westernmost counties person sent letters to West Virginia legislative leaders asking if the authorities would see adding their jurisdictions.

Lawmakers from Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties, each bordering West Virginia, signed the letters, which some accidental that seceding from Maryland and joining West Virginia would beryllium “mutually beneficial for some states and for our section constituencies.”

In a quality merchandise with the letters, Washington County Del. William Wivell’s bureau said, “This missive is generated arsenic a effect of assorted constituent requests implicit the years.”

Dels. Wivell (District 2A) and Mike McKay (District 1C) signed 1 missive connected behalf of Washington County, and Dels. Jason Buckel (District 1B), Wendell Beitzel (District 1A) and McKay, and Sen. George Edwards (District 1), signed different missive connected behalf of Allegany and Garrett counties.

None of the signatories instantly returned a petition for remark from WJZ.

Both letters were sent to West Virginia Senate President Craig Blair (R) and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw (R).

A spokesperson for Hanshaw confirmed the talker had received some copies.

“The talker has said this is an introductory measurement successful what would beryllium a somewhat lengthy process,” said Ann Ali, manager of communications for Hanshaw. “He besides has said helium would admit immoderate borderline counties that admit West Virginia’s relation successful the increasing portion of our nation’s system and that we person the top prime of beingness successful the country.”

Counties seceding from states isn’t a caller idea. In fact, those 3 Maryland counties were named successful a erstwhile secessionist effort astir a decennary ago.

As WTOP reports, a grassroots secessionist radical rallied enactment for an unsuccessful program that would person seen Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett and Washington counties permission Maryland to signifier a caller state, which would’ve been dubbed Western Maryland.

In 2020, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) made a transportation to blimpish counties successful Virginia to interruption distant and articulation his state, according to The Washington Post.

“We’re a loving, bully people. Faith-based people. People that truly cognize the quality betwixt close and wrong. … If you’re not genuinely blessed wherever you are, we basal with unfastened arms to instrumentality you from Virginia,” Justice said past year.

West Virginia was successful information founded by counties that broke distant from Virginia aft it seceded from the Union astatine the outset of the Civil War.

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According to Article IV, Section 3, of the U.S. Constitution, nary caller authorities tin beryllium formed wrong the jurisdiction of different state, oregon by joining parts of states, “without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States acrophobic arsenic good arsenic of the Congress.”