January 21, 2005

Boise State Releases More State-Wide Survey Results
Topics include more detailed opinion on the state sales tax, INEEL and ‘No Child Left Behind’

Continued analysis and new data recently released from Boise State University’s Social Science Research Center show that even considering regional breakdown, Idahoans agree on many important issues facing the state. However, results of the 16th annual Public Policy Survey, originally released earlier this month, also point to a wide disparity of opinion on some issues, such as water rights and the proposed clean up of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL).   Results show a clear majority of Idahoans across all six regions of the state and all major political party affiliations think that the amount of state sales taxes they have to pay is about right.  Independents and Democrats show the largest majority with approximately 70 percent, and Republicans with 60 percent; regionally, the North Central region shows the largest majority at 72 percent and the Panhandle the smallest majority at 59 percent.    Idahoans across all six regions also support granting counties and cities local option tax authority subject to voter approval, with urbanized Southwest Idaho showing the most support with 60 percent, compared to 25 percent who don’t support the tax. Residents in all regions of the state and from all political affiliations also overwhelmingly believe the state is headed in the right direction, although Republicans (84 percent) are more sure of it than Democrats (52 percent) or Independents (63 percent). Not all regions in the state are in agreement over support for a new $10 million nuclear research reactor at INEEL. While support is relatively high in both Southeast and East Central Idaho, it is somewhat lukewarm in the rest of the state. And when asked how confident they are in the federal government’s promise to clean up INEEL by the year 2012, those same two regions reflect overwhelming optimism, while the rest of the state is either evenly divided or shows very little optimism.   With 60 percent of East Central Idahoans claiming to be conservative and 73 percent identifying themselves as Republicans, the most for any region in the state, 46 percent still feel a woman should have the right to choose to have an abortion, compared to 59 percent statewide. In a breakdown by party affiliation statewide, 83 percent of Democrats and 68 percent of Independents support a woman’s right to choose, while Republicans show the least support at 44 percent, yet are relatively split on the issue within the margin of error.   Results released earlier this month once again point to education as a top concern for Idahoans. When asked which level of the Idaho education system needs the most improvement, 72 percent say kindergarten through 12th grade. Yet when asked about the No Child Left Behind act, which is designed to improve K-12 learning, 49 percent admit to knowing very little or nothing at all about the new federal law. Of those who know about it, only 40 percent say they feel somewhat or very favorable about it. Finally, with the state’s booming prison population and resulting space crunch, 70 percent of Idahoans think that, depending on the crime, some non-violent offenders could be removed from prison after serving a short sentence and then supervised in the community.   The annual survey is conducted by the Social Science Research Center at Boise State University in an attempt to identify issues of public policy concern among Idaho citizens. The yearly report is a significant source of information on public policy concerns for the Idaho Legislature, state agency personnel and the public at large. There were 531 respondents to this year’s survey, representing Idahoans at the state and regional levels. The survey has an error rate of plus or minus 4.3 percent statewide.   James Weatherby, director of the Social Science Research Center, led the study, which includes regional and trend analyses on a wide range of topics.  Additional detail on these and other issues as well as regional and partisan breakdowns are available on the Social Science Research Center Web site, http://sspa.boisestate.edu/ssrc.   For additional assistance, please call Mike Louis at (208) 426-1463.   Contacts: James Weatherby, director, Social Science Research Center, (208) 426-4018; Mike Louis, Social Science Research Center, (208) 426-1463                                                              Media Contact: Kathleen Craven, University Relations, (208) 426-3275, kcraven@boisestate.edu     Counties contained within each region:   1.      Panhandle - Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, Benewah, Shoshone 2.      North Central - Latah, Clearwater, Nez Perce, Lewis, Idaho 3.      Southwest - Adams, Valley, Washington, Payette, Gem, Boise, Canyon, Ada, Elmore, Owyhee 4.      South Central - Camas, Blaine, Gooding, Lincoln, Minidoka, Jerome, Twin Falls, Cassia 5.      Southeast - Bingham, Power, Bannock, Oneida, Franklin, Bear Lake, Caribou 6.      East Central - Lemhi, Custer, Butte, Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, Madison, Teton, Bonneville