Raleigh, N.C. – While the state’s Republicans still are not in favor of stricter gun control laws in general, overwhelming support from Democrats and tepid support from independents makes a majority of Arizonans in favor of further restricting who can buy guns and banning lawmakers from being armed within the state legislative chambers. One thing everyone can agree on is that those determined by the courts to be mentally ill should be barred from purchasing handguns.
Overall, 55% are in favor of more stringent gun control legislation, with 38% opposed. It rises to majority support based on 81% of Democrats and a 48-43 margin with independents. Republicans, however, are a mirror image of the overall electorate, opposing by a 55-36 margin.
92% of the state’s voters want to keep those adjudicated as mentally ill from being able to buy guns, something that is prohibited federally but which depends on compliance from states and private gun dealers. Republicans, at 93%, actually are most strongly in favor of this measure.
But while 77% of Democrats and half of independents do not think legislators should be able to have guns on the floor, 55% of Republicans disagree, again contrary to the overall sentiment, which is 53-37 against Arizona legislators’ current right to do this. A number of Congressmen and local leaders across the country have said they plan to arm themselves in the wake of the attack on Gabrielle Giffords a few weeks ago.
“Arizona has been a national leader in the gun-rights movement, but after the Tucson massacre, a lot of the state’s residents realize something needs to change,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling.
Arizonans feel similarly about Palin’s role in the shooting as do all Americans. In PPP’s January national poll, 64% thought she was not at all responsible. 68% of Arizonans feel that way. Republicans and independents are pretty strongly in the not-responsible camp both in the state and nationally, while Democrats are split just slightly in the opposite direction.
PPP surveyed 599 Arizona voters from January 28th to 30th. The survey’s margin of error is +/-4.0%. Other factors, such as refusal to be interviewed and weighting, may introduce additional error that is more difficult to quantify.
Topline results are below. Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.
Q1 Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Jan
Brewer’s job performance?
Approve…………….. 47%
Disapprove………… 45%
Not sure ……………. 9%
Q2 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator John
McCain’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 40%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 49%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 10%
Q3 In general do you think Arizona should have
stricter laws concerning who can buy guns or
not?
Should have stricter laws about who can buy
guns……………………………………………………….55%
Should not have stricter laws about who can
buy guns …………………………………………………38%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 7%
Q4 Do you think the law should restrict those who
have been deemed by the courts to be
mentally ill from purchasing a handgun or not?
Law should restrict those determined by
courts to be mentally ill from purchasing
handguns………………………………………………..92%
Law should not restrict those determined by
courts to be mentally ill from purchasing
handguns………………………………………………..4%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 4%
Q5 Do you think state senators should be allowed
to carry guns in the state legislative chamber or
not?
Senators should be allowed to carry guns …… 37%
Senators should not be allowed to carry guns 53%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 9%
Q6 Do you think violence against the current
American government is justified or not?
Justified………………………………………………….. 9%
Not justified…………………………………………….. 76%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 15%
Q7 Do you think Sarah Palin bears any
responsibility for the shooting in Arizona this
month or not?
She bears some responsibility …………………… 25%
She does not…………………………………………… 68%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 7%
Q8 Would you like for Bristol Palin to live in
Arizona or would you rather she lived
somewhere else?
Would like her to live in AZ………………………… 31%
Would rather she live somewhere else ……….. 26%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 43%
Q9 Would you describe yourself as a liberal,
moderate, or conservative?
Liberal ……………………………………………………. 18%
Moderate………………………………………………… 44%
Conservative…………………………………………… 38%
Q10 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 55%
Man……………………………………………………….. 45%
Q11 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 ……………………………………………….. 36%
Republican……………………………………………… 40%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 24%
Q12 If you are Hispanic, press 1. If white, press 2.
If other, press 3.
Hispanic…………………………………………………. 17%
White …………………………………………………….. 74%
Other……………………………………………………… 9%
Q13 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to
45, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are
older than 65, press 4.
18 to 29………………………………………………….. 12%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 22%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 46%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 20%
