erms: 4 proposed amendments are rejected by WV voters Voters in West Virginia rejected four amendments to Tuesday’s state constitution, including two that would have given Republicans more power to regulate public education policy. Other failed amendments would have banned the state Supreme Court’s intervention during the Legislature’s impeachment trial and allowed churches to incorporate. Dale Lee, President of West Virginia Education Association, praised the outcome of the tax and education amendments. He said West Virginia voters “clearly saw past the power grab by the legislature” to “continue the assault on public education. Lee, the head of the largest union of public educators in the state, stated that “Local control” is one of the cornerstones for our county government and local schools system. “Rejecting the proposed changes will allow that local control continue.” HTML3_ MIDTERM ELUTIONS 2022: LIVE UPDATE The Tuesday’s ballot amendment 4 would have required that the state Board of Education submit new rules and regulations each year to the legislature for final approval. It’s currently the only government agency exempt. The vote was taken amid national protests over the politicization school systems. West Virginia’s Republican leaders joined other politicians in pushing for regulation of subjects like race in schools and to funnel public money into alternative education options such as charter schools and voucher programmes. The state Board of Education joined a lawsuit this year against top Republicans over a school option program. It is one of the most extensive in the country and was accused of stealing money from public schools. The case was taken to the state Supreme Court which sided with legislators. GOP lawmakers who supported the amendment stated that people making decisions on things such as curriculum, student discipline, and teacher training should be accountable before the voters. The nine-year term of West Virginia’s governor-appointed, Senate-confirmed members of the state school board serve the longest terms in any state and cannot be removed. WHAT CAN WE AIM FOR IN GOP-DOMINATED WV EELECTIONS, WITH ONE FOURTH OF RACES HAVING A DEMOCRATIC CANIDATE Teachers’ unions and other top education officials opposed the change, claiming that lawmakers want control over education to advance their political agendas. Education officials claim that lawmakers shouldn’t be able to take over public schools after they have repeatedly failed to assist them. Four years after more that 30,000 school workers went on strike at one of the poorest states in the country, sparking teacher walkouts across the nation, many claim they are overworked, and tired. WEST VIRGINIA MOONEY RUNS TO CONGRESS BUT AIMS MANCHIN Republican Gov. Jim Justice and GOP State Legislators clashed over Amendment 2. This would have allowed state lawmakers to eliminate the inventory and business tax as well as the personal property tax. Justice, who wants the state’s income tax to be cut, and eventually eliminated, visited the state to urge people to reject the proposal. He stated that the passage of the amendment could cause harm to schools, cities, and counties, and give large tax breaks to companies. Top legislators claimed that the amendment would encourage economic and business development in the state. Justice stated that if Amendment 2 had been passed, it could have been “really bad.” He said, “We would have been upside-down… The officers, firemen, your schools and seniors, the leagues of sports, and so on and so forth.” He stated that his priority in the upcoming legislative session is to find a way to reduce both the personal income tax and the car tax. He said, “Who won tonight was absolutely hands-down the people — The people won.” “And who lost?” Who has lost unambiguously? “Selfishness was lost.”