Politics

Two-thirds of Idahoans support increased background checks for gun purchases, including on Internet and gun show sales, a new Idaho Politics Weekly poll by Dan Jones & Associates finds.

The results come in a new survey conducted in late December before the latest round of mass shootings and Democratic President Barack Obama’s executive orders on increased background checks.

The new survey also shows that 59 percent of Idahoans have guns in their homes, 30 percent don’t, and 11 percent declined to answer the question.

Jones finds that 66 percent of Idaho adults “definitely” or “probably” support increased gun sale background checks on the buyers.

Twenty-eight percent oppose such increased checks, and 2 percent don’t know, found Jones.

Obama’s executive orders probably wouldn’t have stopped the killings in San Bernardino, but the president said if even one life can be saved by increased background checks it will be worth it.

Republicans in Congress condemned his actions, saying the president doesn’t have the authority to make such decisions, only Congress can.

Democrats basically supported him.

Jones asked those responding if they support legislation increasing background checks – so that would mean action by state legislators and Congress – not actions taken by governors or the president.

Certainly there is a partisan breakout in Jones’ survey:

-- Republicans favor tighter background checks, 65-33 percent.

-- Democrats love the idea, 94-5 percent.

-- And political independents (don’t belong to any party) favor increased checks on the Internet and at gun shows, 78-18 percent.

More men have guns in their homes than do women; the survey finds – 64 percent of men have guns, 54 percent of women have guns in their home.

And so it would make sense that men are more in favor of the 2nd Amendment rights than are women.

Some pro-gun advocates are opposed to increased background checks.

And Jones finds that 63 percent of Idaho men support increased background checks, but 78 percent of women favor them.

But all groups – even those who self-identified themselves as “very conservative” politically – still favor increased background checks, Jones found.

Half (50 percent) of the “very conservative” favor increased background checks. Forty-eight percent oppose the idea.

Sixty-eight percent of those who said they are “somewhat conservative” favor the heightened checks, 30 percent oppose.

And political moderates favor the increased background checks, 78-18 percent.

Those who said they are liberal greatly support increased checks, Jones found.

Idaho is a western state, with a long history of gun ownership and use.

Jones finds that 65 percent of Republicans have guns in their homes, 52 percent of Democrats own guns, and 59 percent of political independents have guns.

Jones poll 604 adults from Dec. 17 to 29, the margin of error is plus or minus 3.99 percent.