LABI poll: Voters opposed to proposed federal legislation

Occasionally, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) commissions polls to take the pulse of Louisiana voters. Sometimes the purpose is to gauge public support for candidates, other times to get voters’ opinions on issues.

LABI’s most recent poll looked at voters’ opinions on issues coming before the U.S. Congress next year. Though there are federal election campaigns throughout the state, LABI’s focus was on issues, not candidates.

Two key issues will be “card check” legislation, designed to do away with secret ballot elections for union representation in the workplace and “cap and trade” legislation that would be an indirect tax on businesses and consumers who use carbon-based energy sources. Unions are making the “card check” bill a litmus test for their support in the 2008 elections. Their numbers in the private sector have been declining for years, and their solution is to deny workers a secret ballot when voting whether or not to seek union representation.

The poll by Southern Media & Opinion Research interviewed 600 likely voters, who were first asked to rank the importance of issues. Over 22 percent believed “the economy and jobs” are the most important, followed by education at 13.9 percent and the situation in Iraq at 13.8 percent. Gasoline and energy prices were fourth at 12.7 percent.

Also of interest were federal spending/deficit at 7.4 percent, health insurance at 6.9 percent, illegal immigration at 6.1 percent, crime and drugs at 4.9 percent, federal taxes at 4.4 percent, and global warming/climate change at 2.6 percent.

While labor unions are going all out to remove workers’ secret ballot protection, Louisiana voters continue to strongly support workers’ rights to choose whether or not they want to belong and pay dues to a union. Over 80 percent support this, while almost 15 percent do not. Union households’ support is even greater than the general public, with 87 percent supporting the worker’s right to choose.

Then poll respondents were told, “Under the current system, for a union to be certified to represent the workers at a company, a secret ballot election must be held to accept or reject representation by the union.” When asked whether they supported or opposed the secret system, almost 74 percent supported it, as did almost 91 percent of union households, the highest response of any demographic grouping.

When asked whether they support proposed federal legislation – “card check” – that would eliminate the secret ballot, 65 percent said they would oppose it. Again, the union response was even greater, with 72 percent opposing “card check.”

The voters polled are divided on “global warming.” Some 42 percent believe that “our planet is being significantly threatened by temperature increases generated by man-made activities.”

Another 30 percent believe these issues are exaggerated and present no serious threat, and 25 percent believe that, while there may be some warming, it is not significant enough to be a serious danger.

Almost 66 percent of the voters oppose any legislation to limit carbon dioxide emissions if it would result in any tax increase or increased cost of gasoline, electricity, natural gas, and other energy sources. Additionally, 56 percent of voters are “very concerned” about the negative impact of carbon emission legislation on jobs and the economy in Louisiana, 32 percent are “somewhat concerned,” and 12 percent are not concerned.

Louisiana voters aren’t buying what Congress is selling. It might be well for our future congressional delegation – Democrats and Republicans alike – to take a close look at what Louisiana voters think.

Ginger Sawyer, vice president, Political Action director, Energy Council director, Grass Roots contributed to this column.