Only a couple of days after the release of Governor Jerry Brown’s pension reform proposal, the California Business Roundtable-Pepperdine University School of Public Policy bi-weekly poll confirmed that voters want public pension reform. An overwhelming 71% of those participating in the Internet poll conducted by M4 Strategies said pension reform is a major part of California’s budget fix.
The poll did not test any specific pension reform and was in the field before the governor’s plan was announced. The overwhelming show of support for reform is similar to numbers received by pension reform measures on the June ballot in San Diego and San Jose. Those measures passed with Yes votes of 66% and 69%, respectively.
The poll also asked about Senate Bill 1234, which would establish a state-managed pension system for employees who work for private companies. Support for that measure stood at 21.8% , opposition at 52.8%.
The only major change from two weeks ago on initiative measures, which the CBRT/Pepperdine poll tracks, was slippage of Proposition 38, the Molly Munger supported initiative to raise income taxes for schools.
Two weeks ago, Prop 38 climbed into positive numbers for the first time in any poll, scoring 45.3% Yes and 41.9% No. However, two weeks later Prop 38 again fell behind with 39.6% registering a Yes vote and 49.4% No.
There was a clear shift of Democratic voters away from Prop 38, which could indicate that the word is getting out from the Democratic establishment that the governor’s Proposition 30 tax is the one to support.
The only other puzzling item to note is that Proposition 35, which strengthens penalties for human trafficking, increased its No vote into double digits for the first time at 10.8%. However, those responding Strongly No are still at a miniscule 3%.
Here are the ballot proposition poll results.
Proposition 30 – TEMPORARY TAXES TO FUND EDUCATION. GUARANTEED LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDING. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
YES: 54.4
NO: 40.5
Proposition 31 – STATE BUDGET. STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND STATUTE.
YES: 40.9
NO: 36.2
32 – POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS BY PAYROLL DEDUCTION. CONTRIBUTIONS TO CANDIDATES. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
YES: 57.3
NO: 33.0
Proposition 33- AUTO INSURANCE COMPANIES. PRICES BASED ON DRIVER’S HISTORY OF INSURANCE COVERAGE. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
YES: 56.5
NO: 31.8
Proposition 34 – DEATH PENALTY. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
YES: 40.1
NO: 49.5
35 – HUMAN TRAFFICKING. PENALTIES. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
YES: 82.2
NO: 10.8
Proposition 36 – THREE STRIKES LAW. REPEAT FELONY OFFENDERS. PENALTIES. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
YES: 74.1
NO: 17.8
Proposition 37 – GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS. LABELING. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
YES: 65.4
NO: 23.4
Proposition 38 – TAX TO FUND EDUCATION AND EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
YES: 39.6
NO: 49.4
Proposition 39 – TAX TREATMENT FOR MULTISTATE BUSINESSES. CLEAN ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY FUNDING. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
YES: 59.2
NO: 28.9
Proposition 40 – REDISTRICTING. STATE SENATE DISTRICTS. REFERENDUM.
YES: 47.8
NO: 25