A West Virginia House of Delegates resolution introduced on January 14 would invite Virginia counties or independent cities that are dissatisfied with prospective legislation in the Virginia General Assembly on gun control to leave Virginia and become part of West Virginia. House Concurrent Resolution 8, sponsored by 37 of the 58 WV Republican Delegates and 1 Independent, has already received approval from one of the two House committee to which the resolution was referred. Floor consideration in the House of Delegates is anticipated soon.
The resolution calls for an election to be held prior to August 1, 2020 in any Virginia jurisdictions desiring admission to West Virginia (under provisions of the WV Constitution that provide for admitting new territory), subject to the approval of the Virginia General Assembly, and, in turn, for the admission of such Virginia jurisdictions to be submitted for approval by the voters in West Virginia general election in November 2020. The resolution cites several precedents for such an action, including “the peaceful dissolutions of Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, and the creation of South Sudan.” Click here for a copy of the resolution.