“Let’s be clear: we’re not giving up a single county to West Virginia or anywhere else.”

Maryland Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey, rejecting a proposal from a West Virginia lawmaker inviting three rural Western Maryland counties to secede and join his state. The legislation, framed as a bid to “strengthen regional ties and promote shared Appalachian values,” drew swift pushback from Maryland Republicans, who said residents’ frustrations don’t translate into support for leaving the state. Hershey said all of Maryland’s counties are integral to the state’s identity and aren’t up for grabs. (The Baltimore Sun)