The Republican governor’s opposition to the ballot measure pits him against Republicans in the legislature, with both House Speaker Roger Hanshaw (R) and Senate President Craig Blair (R) advocating for the amendment. At issue is whether the state constitution should be amended to give the legislature authority over—and potentially the ability to scale back or repeal—tangible personal property taxes. An inability to touch these taxes has bedeviled tax reformers in the state for years. Most states tax tangible personal property—essentially, property that can be touched or moved—to some degree, but West Virginia is unusual in its heavy taxation of machinery,...