Wason Center Survey Shows Partisan Splits On State’s Direction

NEWPORT NEWS

The Wason Center for Civic Leadership at Christopher Newport University recently released the results of the Center’s latest survey of the Commonwealth. Those surveyed generally were positive about the state and less so about the nation and the president.

The split verdict continues in education, with Virginians surveyed feeling much better about their own schools as compared to the current state of public education nationally. Perhaps not surprisingly with those findings in mind, respondents to the latest survey also indicated they’d prefer the governor stay right here in Virginia with them.

The survey also found Virginians with a range of interesting takes on current issues facing the Commonwealth including recreational marijuana sales, abortion, student gender identity, energy and the environment, tax cuts and casinos.

Among the highlights of the survey are:

• A plurality of Virginians think the Commonwealth is headed in the right direction (45 percent to 37 percent), while 50 percent approve of the job Governor Youngkin is doing. Still, Virginians prefer that the Governor not run for president (59 percent to 29 percent).

• Virginians are pessimistic about the direction of the country (19 percent right direction to 73 percent wrong direction); dissatisfaction is reflected in Biden’s approval rating (38 percent approve to 57 percent disapprove)

• Virginia voters support recreational marijuana sales (60 percent) and allowing any interested localities to host casinos should their residents approve one in a referendum (55 percent).

Differences are largely along partisan lines, with 67 percent of Republican voters saying Virginia is heading in the right direction, compared to 23 percent of Democrats and 47 percent of Independents. On Governor Youngkin’s job performance, 83 percent of Republicans approve, while 74 percent of Democrats disapprove; 54 percent of Independents signal their approval.

Also, Virginians now indicate they support allowing any interested localities to

ATTY. BEN CRUMP THREATENS TO SUE FLA.’S GOV. DESANTIS

By Rosaland Tyler Associate Editor New Journal and Guide

Crump recently told a gathering of more than 100 people at the state capitol that it’s not up to the governor to decide what is taught in Florida classrooms.

host casinos as well if their voters were to approve of one in a referendum (55 percent support to 38 percent oppose). Currently, five Virginia localities have been given the opportunity to hold a referendum to allow for hosting a casino in their locality, and Virginia’s first temporary casino opened in Bristol last year, with the first permanent casino opening in Portsmouth this year. Support is largely bipartisan with Independents indicating the highest levels of support at 59 percent, followed by 58 percent of Democrats and 50 percent of Republicans.

Attorney Ben Crump recently led a rally inside the Florida Capitol alongside Black Democratic state lawmakers to underscore his intent to file a lawsuit if Florida students are banned from taking an Advanced Placement AfricanAmerican history course.

Crump appeared at the recent Jan. 25 protest in Florida after the Department of Education issued a letter that said the course will not be taught.

Crump, a life-time member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, announced his intentions on behalf of three Leon County students who would be unable to take the African-American studies course. He was joined by Democratic lawmakers and supporters wearing “Stop the Black Attack” tee shirts and carrying signs.

“Everybody who is here in America, you have a right to have your culture, your history respected and taught to the children,” Crump told WCJB-TV. “The question really is this, brothers and sisters. Are we going to let Gov. DeSantis, or anybody, exterminate Black history from the classrooms in Florida?”

Crump warned, “Gov. DeSantis is going to get a lesson of his own today,” according to The Orlando Sentinel. Crump said he was in Florida to “give notice to Gov. DeSantis” that if he does not negotiate with the College Board to allow the course to be taught across the state he would take legal action.

Meanwhile, DeSantis claimed the courses promote “woke” ideology and critical race theory. The College Board lessons, according to DeSantis, are on the “wrong side of the line for Florida standards.”

But Crump recently told reporters at the Capitol protest, “If the governor allows the College Board to present AP African-American studies in classrooms across the state of Florida, then we will feel no need to file this historic lawsuit. However, if he rejects the free flow of ideas and suppresses African-American studies, then we’re prepared to take this controversy all the way to the United States Supreme Court.”

Several Florida legislators attended the recent rally including House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (D-Tampa). Dianne Hart and Michele Rayner. “Ron DeSantis clearly wants to dictate whose story does and doesn’t belong,” Driskell said. “What we don’t need is a governor who is so obsessed with ‘woke’ that he is asleep at the wheel.”