Finally, a survey has been done that shows what most of us have known since the opening bell of the 2015 Kansas Legislature.
A new survey released last week by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University shows just how out of touch lawmakers are with their constituents.
In March, the institute randomly surveyed 519 random Kansas adults on their opinions on a variety of public policy issues. The results, with a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percent, showed that Kansans are concerned about the state economy, with 40 percent saying they were “very concerned” that the Kansas economy will seriously threaten their family’s welfare, up from 32 percent in fall 2013.
Among the other results are:
• Although the Legislature voted in 2014 to decrease taxes on the highest earners and corporations, 65 percent of respondents said they preferred to increase taxes on top earners, and 74 percent wanted to increase taxes on corporations. Ninety-three percent preferred to lower or keep the current tax rates for small businesses.
• Forty-nine percent of respondents indicated they opposed the recently approved block grant method of funding public schools in Kansas, while 30 percent favored and 22 percent provided a “Don’t Know” response. Interestingly, more than half of respondents said they believed the Legislature (51 percent), as opposed to the courts (35 percent), should determine what a “suitable” level of funding for Kansas public schools should be, which aligns with the Legislature’s preferences.
• Sixty percent favor expanding Medicaid in Kansas under the Affordable Care Act, something the Legislature has considered but has been reluctant to approve.
• More than 65 percent of respondents favored increasing the tax on cigarettes to $2.29 per pack. When asked about policies regarding the use of marijuana, 68 percent said they favored allowing physicians to prescribe marijuana to their patients, while 63 percent favored decriminalizing recreational marijuana so that the penalty would be a fine with no jail time.
• Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, was supported by 44 percent, while 55 percent expressed opposition to fracking in Kansas.
• With regard to concealed carrying of firearms, 74 percent of respondents said they opposed allowing Kansans to carry concealed firearms if they were not certified to have had formal training in their use.
In other words, the results suggest that, in many ways, the policies emerging from Topeka are out of whack with the preferences of most Kansans.
Wait a minute, don’t we elect these folks to represent us? There is a clear disconnect between the Statehouse and the rest of the state.
Presumably, the only option is to hold our lawmakers feet to the fire. If they don’t start to listen, we should find representatives who will.
Dale Hogg
