Want to know what a sample of your fellow Texans are thinking? Approximatley 700 of them were surveyed in the 5th Anniversary Texas Lyceum poll from May 24th through May31st (margin of error = +/-3.69%) on a variety of issues. Here is a summary of what they found on just some of the topics:
More support for full blown gambling
Last October when Texans were asked for their opinion on gambling, 29% of adult Texans said they would support full blown gambling while 21% would support expanding gambling and gaming. Seven months later it appears that opinion is shifting more in that direction, with 34% supporting full blown gambling and 25% favoring an expansion for a total of 59% of Texans in support of more growth in this industry.
Legalization of marijuana
On the topic of the legalization of marijuana, two-thirds of those surveyed oppose making marijuana legal. When a follow-up question pointed out the possible tax revenue benefits from legalization of marijuana, Texans were not swayed, and in fact, simply solidified their existing view.
Handguns on Campus
The ability to carry concealed handguns on campus is another hot-button issue for many Texans. A strong majority (74% of adult Texans; 67% of likely voters) opposes legislation that would allow individuals to carry concealed handguns on college campuses.
Politics
A recent Texas Lyceum poll finds that Governor Rick Perry gets a thumbs up from 54% of likely voters on his job performance in 2011 while President Barack Obama receives 51% approval overall. The state legislature registers just below Perry and Obama with 49% approval. Looking ahead to the 2012 Republican presidential primary, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin are at the forefront of a large pack of contenders. With most voters undecided at this point, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst leads the list of possible candidates for the Republican Senate primary while no Democratic Senate primary candidate garners more than 9%. Approximately 17% of likely voters call themselves members of the Tea Party.
Green energy good, but drill on in the Gulf
A large majority of Texans (83% of adult Texans; 81% of likely voters) support investing in green energy such as solar and wind. Their second most popular choice to meet our energy needs is drilling in the Gulf of Mexico (62% of adult Texans; 74% of likely voters). Interestingly, Texans seem to be split on drilling in the Alaskan Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (46% of adult Texans in favor of drilling; 58% of likely voters in favor of drilling).
See all of the results here on the The Texas Lyceum’s fifth anniversary Poll page.
