Politics

On the whole, Idahoans agree with Gov. Butch Otter’s veto of a recently-passed bill that would have allowed the Bible to be taught in public schools, a new Idaho Politics Weekly poll shows.

However, pollster Dan Jones & Associates finds that among just Republicans – the party Otter and most of the Legislature belong to – there is a different opinion:

• 51 percent of Republicans disagree with the governor’s veto.
• 44 percent of the GOP support the veto.
• And 4 percent didn’t know.

Among all Idahoans:

• 52 percent support the veto.
• 43 percent oppose it.
• And 5 percent don’t know.

Otter vetoed the bill after the Idaho attorney general had warned it likely violated the Idaho Constitution. Otter said in his veto letter that should the bill become law it would cost the state financially, both in lawsuits and possible withheld federal education dollars.

The bill, S1342, passed both the House and the Senate by more than two-thirds votes.

Both Idaho Democrats and independents support Otter’s veto – thus throwing the overall support above 50 percent.

Democrats support the veto, 71-26 percent. Political independents support the veto, 56-40 percent.

On other issues, Jones finds that Idahoans are split over the Legislature’s funding of education.

Following last session’s big jump in public education funding, the 2016 Legislature gave public education another 7.4 percent increase in funding.

Jones finds that among all Idahoans, 41 percent said that was too little of an increase, 39 percent said it was about right, 10 percent said it was too much, and 9 percent didn’t have an opinion.

Again, Idaho Republicans have a somewhat different view:

• 42 percent of Republicans said what the GOP-controlled Legislature did on education funding was “about right.”
• 35 percent of the GOP said the funding was too little.
• 14 percent of Republicans said it was too much for public education.
• And 10 percent didn’t know.

Democrats were much more in support of increased school monies:

• 64 percent said the 7.4 percent hike was too little; 29 percent said it was about right, and only 2 percent said it was too much.

Political independents were more like Republicans on this question:

• 42 percent said the funding was “about right;” 39 percent said too little, and 9 percent said too much.

Finally, in this election year, a number of incumbents seeking re-election and candidates challenging them are taking pledges not to vote to raise taxes if they should win.

Jones finds almost a perfect split among all Idahoans on whether such pledges make voters more likely to support the tax-pledgers, less likely to support them, or such a pledge makes no difference to the voter.

Among all Idahoans:

• 33 percent said a candidate taking a no-new-taxes pledge made them more likely to support the candidate.
• 30 percent said it made no difference.
• 33 percent it actually made them less likely to support the candidate.
• And 5 percent didn’t know.

Forty-six percent of Republicans said taking the pledge made them more likely to support the candidate, 29 percent said it made no difference, and 23 percent said it made them less likely to vote for that person.

Democrats are much different: Half said taking the pledge made them less likely to vote for that candidate, 27 percent said it made no difference, 16 percent said it made them more likely to support that candidate.

Political independents are split: 37 percent said less likely to support a tax-pledger, 34 percent said no difference, and 25 percent said more likely.

Jones polled 603 adults from April 8-19. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.99 percent.