Polls

Republican tax reform proposals unpopular

| Tom Jensen


Header-poll-results
Raleigh,
N.C.-
PPP’s
latest North Carolina poll reveals that the Republican government is receiving
poor marks. Although Pat McCrory’s approval rating is 48% positive to 38%
negative, 48% of North Carolinians disapprove of the Republican government to
just 41% who approve. Republican legislators score even worse at 37% approval
to 49% disapproval. The General Assembly overall gets a 25% positive rating to
51% negative and 24% unsure. At 38%-46%, Democrats have poor numbers, too. Voters
believe by a 45% to 31% margin that the General Assembly is causing the state
national embarrassment.

Specific
Republican proposals are extremely unpopular. Voters oppose the House and
Senate tax plans by 41%-11% and 44%-14%, respectively. When told the details of
these plans, opposition soars to 68%-13% for the Senate’s plan and 55%-21% for
the House’s. 81% of North Carolinians oppose raising the sales tax on groceries
from 2% to 6.5%. Only 10% support it.

“Republicans
may need to go back to the drawing board when it comes to tax reform,” said
Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “Both proposals that have been
made in the legislature are pretty unpopular with the general public.”

Republican
attempts to roll back gun regulations are also unpopular. Respondents stated by
a 73% to 17% margin that concealed weapons should not be allowed in bars. They
oppose allowing concealed weapons in parks and on college campuses. Voters want
to keep guns out of parks by a 65% to 29% margin and off of college campuses by
69% to 25%.

Environmental
deregulation is no more popular. Voters think the General Assembly should
encourage renewable energy use with incentives by a margin of 68% to 16%. 73%
favor promoting renewable energy production to 14% who stand opposed. Repealing
environmental protections at Jordan Lake is unpopular by a margin of 49%-14%.

Voters
believe by 66% to 11% that it is inappropriate for Secretary of Public Safety
Kieran Shanahan to keep doing work on the side for his private law clients
while serving. Voters do think that doctors should be required to obtain
parental permission before treating, testing or diagnosing minors for
pregnancies, emotional or mental illnesses or sexually transmitted diseases.
Probably out of confusion, 36% oppose a constitutional amendment that would
repeal the literacy test for voting. 26% support such an amendment, and 36% of
voters don’t know what to make of it.

PPP surveyed 500 North Carolina voters from May 17-20,
2013. The margin of error was +/- 4.4%. This poll was not authorized or paid
for by any campaign or political organization. PPP’s surveys are conducted
through automated telephone interviews.

Topline results are below.  Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.

Q1 Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Pat
McCrory’s job performance?
Approve …………….. .48%
Disapprove…………. .38%
Not sure …………….. .14%

Q2 Do you approve or disapprove of the job
Republicans as a whole are doing of running
state government?
Approve …………….. .41%
Disapprove…………. .48%
Not sure …………….. .11%

Q3 Would you support or oppose a constitutional
amendment that would repeal the literacy test
for voting?
Support ……………… .29%
Oppose ……………… .36%
Not sure …………….. .35%

Q4 Do you approve or disapprove of the job the
General Assembly is doing?
Approve …………….. .25%
Disapprove…………. .51%
Not sure …………….. .24%

Q5 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of the Democrats in the North Carolina
Legislature?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 38%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 46%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 16%

Q6 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of the Republicans in the North Carolina
Legislature?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 37%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 49%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 14%

Q7 Generally speaking, if there was an election for
the state legislature today, would you vote for
the Democratic or Republican candidate from
your district?
Democrat ……………………………………………….. 46%
Republican……………………………………………… 42%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 11%

Q8 Do you think that the General Assembly is
causing North Carolina national
embarrassment, or not?
Think it is causing NC national
embarrassment………………………………………..45%
Don’t think it is ………………………………………… 31%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 24%

Q9 Do you support or oppose the tax plan that has
been proposed by the North Carolina Senate?
Support ……………… .14%
Oppose ……………… .44%
Not sure …………….. .42%

Q10 Would you support or oppose a proposal which
would reduce the state personal income tax by
3.25% and reduce the corporate income tax by
0.9%, while also raising the state tax on
groceries by 4.5% and expanding the sales tax
to cover goods and services not currently
covered by a sales tax, including prescription
drugs and auto repairs?
Support ……………… .13%
Oppose ……………… .68%
Not sure …………….. .19%

Q11 Do you support or oppose the tax plan that has
been proposed by the North Carolina House?
Support ……………… .11%
Oppose ……………… .41%
Not sure …………….. .48%

Q12 Would you support or oppose a proposal that
would reduce the state personal income tax by
1.85% and reduce the corporate income tax by
0.15%, while expanding the sales tax to cover
services such as alteration, repair,
maintenance, cleaning, and installation?
Support ……………… .21%
Oppose ……………… .55%
Not sure …………….. .23%

Q13 Do you support or oppose raising the sales tax
on groceries from 2% to 6.5%?
Support ……………… .10%
Oppose ……………… .81%
Not sure …………….. . 9%

Q14 Do you support or oppose the proposed bill
that would repeal environmental protections at
Jordan Lake?
Support ……………… .15%
Oppose ……………… .49%
Not sure …………….. .36%

Q15 Do you support or oppose allowing people to
bring concealed weapons into bars?
Support ……………… .17%
Oppose ……………… .73%
Not sure …………….. .10%

Q16 Do you support or oppose allowing people to
bring concealed weapons into parks?
Support ……………… .29%
Oppose ……………… .65%
Not sure …………….. . 7%

Q17 Do you support or oppose allowing people to
bring concealed weapons onto college
campuses?
Support ……………… .25%
Oppose ……………… .69%
Not sure …………….. . 6%

Q18 Do you think doctors should have to obtain
parental permission before treating, testing, or
diagnosing minors for pregnancies, sexually
transmitted diseases, drug or alcohol use, or
mental or emotional illnesses, or do you not
think they should have to?
Doctors should
have to………………..59%
They should not ….. .35%
Not sure …………….. . 7%

Q19 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of the protesters who have been getting
arrested at the General Assembly opposing the
Republican agenda?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 38%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 40%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 21%

Q20 Are the protesters at the General Assembly
making you more or less likely to support their
agenda, or does it not make a difference?
More likely………………………………………………. 29%
Less likely ………………………………………………. 35%
Doesn’t make a difference ………………………… 33%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 3%

Q21 Do you think it is appropriate or inappropriate
for Kieran Shahahan, Secretary of the North
Carolina Department of Public Safety, to also
continue doing work on the side for his private
law firm clients?
Appropriate …………………………………………….. 11%
Inappropriate…………………………………………… 66%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 23%

Q22 Do you think the N.C. General Assembly
should encourage use of alternative and
renewable energy resources, such as solar
and wind, with support such as incentives,
similar to those that other businesses receive,
or not?
The GA should………………………………………… 68%
It should not ……………………………………………. 16%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 16%

Q23 Do you think the N.C. General Assembly
should do more to promote the production of
power from alternative and renewable energy
resources?
The GA should………………………………………… 73%
It should not ……………………………………………. 14%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%

Q24 When it comes to North Carolina’s public
universities, do you think the state legislature
should do more, less, or about the same as
they currently are to support them?
More ……………………………………………………… 55%
Less ………………………………………………………. 15%
About the same……………………………………….. 26%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 4%

Q25 Do you think tuition for North Carolina’s public
universities is too high, too low, or just about
right?
Too high …………………………………………………. 63%
Too low ………………………………………………….. 4%
About right ……………………………………………… 28%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 5%

Q26 When you go to vote, are you confident that the
election will be fair and the votes counted
properly, or not?
Are confident…………………………………………… 45%
Are not …………………………………………………… 41%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%

Q27 In the last presidential election, did you vote for
Barack Obama or Mitt Romney?
Barack Obama………………………………………… 48%
Mitt Romney……………………………………………. 48%
Someone else/Don’t remember …………………. 3%

Q28 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 11%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 17%
Moderate………………………………………………… 27%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 23%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 23%

Q29 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 56%
Man……………………………………………………….. 44%

Q30 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a Republican,
press 2. If you are an independent or identify
with another party, press 3.
Democrat ……………………………………………….. 44%
Republican……………………………………………… 32%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 23%

Q31 If you are white, press 1. If African-American,
press 2. If other, press 3.
White …………………………………………………….. 76%
African-American …………………………………….. 18%
Other……………………………………………………… 6%

Q32 If you are 18 to 45 years old, press 1. If 46 to
65, press 2. If you are older than 65, press 3.
18 to 45………………………………………………….. 32%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 48%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 20%

Q33 Area Code
252………………………………………………………… 12%
336………………………………………………………… 21%
704………………………………………………………… 19%
828………………………………………………………… 16%
910………………………………………………………… 13%
919………………………………………………………… 19%

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