Survey shows a majority of Alaskans support the Legislature’s budget for UA
Fifty-Nine (59) percent of Alaskans who participated in a privately-funded survey said they would support their legislator in an override vote of the recent veto of the legislature’s budget for the University of Alaska. Just 16 percent say they would ask their legislator not to override the veto while the remainder were undecided.
The survey of 600 registered Alaskan voters was conducted last week, and asked participants about the governor’s veto to the legislature’s budget for the university. Here are the key findings:
- When asked if they opposed or favored the governor’s line item veto of $130 million
from the legislature’s budget for the University of Alaska, 61 percent opposed it
and 24 percent supported it, with the rest undecided;
- When asked which side of the budget discussion they agreed with, 49 percent said the
Legislature’s side and 25 percent said the governor’s, while the rest couldn’t say;
and,
- 59 percent said they would tell their legislator to override the line item veto to the legislature’s budget for the university.
The research also found that the University of Alaska’s public support and credibility has increased over the last several months.
A benchmark survey in March showed the University of Alaska earned high marks for its importance to the state and to the future of Alaska. The March survey found that on a 1-to-10 scale with 10 being the highest score possible, UA earned a 6.6, which was the best of the five institutions tested. By July, the approval rating had grown to nearly 7, which is exceptionally high. Similarly, the Alaska State Legislature score rose from a 4.4 to 5.0. The July survey was done to determine how Alaskans feel about the veto of the legislature’s budget, and by a margin of almost 4-1, Alaskans said they would tell their legislator to vote to override the governor’s veto of the legislature’s budget for the university; 72 percent of Alaskans said the cut would be detrimental to the university.
This survey echoes previous surveys about public support for the university. In April 2018, the McDowell Group found that 89 percent of Alaskans believe UA is important or very important to the state’s future; and, of seven institutions tested, including state government, Alaskans ranked the university first in their confidence to lead our state.
Of those surveyed last week, 28 percent were registered Republicans, 17 percent were registered Democrats, 31 percent were non-partisan, 14 percent were undeclared, 1 percent were registered Libertarian, 4 percent Alaska Independent Party, and 7 percent Green Party/all others.
The July survey was conducted by The Cromer Group, a research firm based in Washington, D.C., that has been doing work in Alaska since 1982.