The top issue that Utahns want state government to solve is improving the quality of public education, a new poll by Dan Jones & Associates finds.
Jones asked 649 adults to list their top three issues facing Utah state government, and then listed 21 possibilities.
If a respondent mentioned an issue other than the 21 proposed by Jones, then that issue fell into the “other” category in the poll results.
Jones found:
— 35 percent of Utahns listed improving K-12 public education in one of their top three choices, the greatest percentage.
— Pollution and air quality concerns came in at No. 2 with 25 percent picking that issue as one of their top three.
— Also at 25 percent was “lower the cost of health care.”
(Ed note: Jones asked voters to list their top three, so if, for example, better public education was in any respondent’s top three, it was included in the above percentages. Thus, Jones’ totals in all categories adds up to more than 100 percent.)
— “Make housing more affordable” comes in at No. 3, or 21 percent listing it as among their top three issues.
— “Expand the availability of heath care coverage” is No. 4. at 16 percent.
— Decrease state taxes had 15 percent support, or No. 5 overall.
— “Invest in infrastructure,” like roads, water and sewer, had 13 percent support.
— Then came “reduce crime” at 10 percent.
And 29 percent of folks named a top three issue that was not listed by Jones, and so falls into the “other” category.
All the other issues had less than 10 percent support, and so could be considered as lower concern for Utah’s lawmakers and GOP Gov. Gary Herbert to undertake.
Of interest:
— Protect gun rights was listed as one of the top three issues by only 8 percent of Utahns. So an issue that is certainly a hot-button topic whenever it comes up at the Legislature is not considered that important by voters.
As you might expect, Utah Republicans, Democrats and political independents often have different “top three” issues.
However, Jones finds that Republicans, Democrats and independents all listed improving public education quality as among their top three issues. So it was first among those partisan groups, as well.
Every year, GOP legislative leaders and Herbert say properly funding public education is their top budget goal.
So do Democratic lawmakers.
However, the two parties see public education funding differently – Democrats always wanting more money than Republicans give to schools.
Herbert and GOP lawmakers made a deal with the Our Schools Now citizen initiative petition backers during the 2018 Legislature.
The OSN petition would have raised taxes to provide an extra $750 million going into schools each year.
The Republicans offered just over $300 million more – and said they would assess voter support for a fuel tax hike as part of the school-funding deal.
OSN dropped their petition – well on its way to being on the November ballot – and Republicans put on the ballot a non-binding question: Raise the state gasoline tax by 10 cents per gallon, and lawmakers and Herbert will put hundreds of millions of additional tax dollars into schools over the next several years.
Recent polling shows it is unclear, however, if voters will approve Question 1 on the ballot.
If voters don’t approve Question 1, it is unlikely the Republican-controlled Legislature will increase the gas tax by 10 cents, although they and the governor may increase the gas tax less, or they may still put more money into schools – not just at the amounts promised under the OSN compromise.
But Jones’ new poll shows that voters want something done to increase the quality of education – first and foremost among all the issues facing the state.
Jones polled 649 adults from Sept. 26 through Oct. 4. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.85 percent.
