Davis discusses survey results

About 600 people responded to the 2010 Legislative Survey hosted by State Rep. Bill Davis.

The survey asked constituents in the District 33, which includes all of Jay County, northern Randolph County and eastern Delaware County, their opinions on 11 different topics, which served as a barometer of public opinion for Davis (R-Portland) this session.

"Nothing that really surprised me that much," Davis said of the survey results. "I guess I think there were some interesting results."

One result that wasn't a surprise to Davis concerned whether voters would like to see a November referendum on whether to write property tax caps into to the Indiana Constitution.

The issue was moved through the legislature earlier this year and will appear on the ballot in November.

The caps would limit property taxes to a percentage of assessed valuation at 1 percent for homes, 2 percent for agriculture and 3 percent for businesses. Adding the caps as a constitutional amendment would make them more difficult to repeal.

A solid 81 percent of respondents want the vote, compared to 12 percent who didn't.

"This is a number over the last couple of years that hasn't changed much since we started talking about (the caps)," Davis said.

Davis did find results about a statewide smoking ban interesting, in which 50 percent support the idea to 44 percent who oppose it.

"A statewide smoking ban continues to be one that is pretty evenly divided," he said. "I thought that, while it is higher than it was two years ago, it's not as overwhelming as I thought it might be. I thought we might see some different numbers there."

Davis also thought a question about local government reforms - an issue that's been kicked around the statehouse for a couple years - had "some pretty clear indications about how people feel about changing local government."

Eighty percent of respondents want to prohibit government employees from also serving as elected officials, while only 18 percent approved of replacing a county's three commissioners with a single county executive.

"They like the idea of having three representatives there," he said. "I thought that was interesting."

Although some of the questions were just to seek out opinion, other questions targeted issues that became bills. Property tax caps were successfully passed through the statehouse, while other issues died in one wing.

Restrictions on texting while driving, a statewide smoking ban, and moving school start dates to after September 1 all passed one wing of the legislature but died in the other.

Davis said a bill about township government reforms is the only potential legislature still alive regarding any of the survey questions. This year's session will end Sunday at the latest.

Results of the survey are below:

1. Do you support a chance to vote on a constitutional amendment capping property taxes? 81 percent Yes, 12 percent No, 7 percent Undecided.

2. If the state experiences a reserve above a threshold level, should the excess money be returned to taxpayers or used for education spending? 68 percent Tax Credits, 32 percent Education Funding.

3. Should Indiana schools move their start dates after Sept. 1 while maintaining the 180-day school year and requiring make-up of snow days? 55 percent Yes, 32 percent No, 13 percent Undecided.

4. Should parents have the right to send their children to a public school of their choice within their county if the child's assigned school has been classified as a failing school? 77 percent Yes, 15 percent No, 8 percent Undecided.

5. Should college tuition at state-funded colleges be capped at the rate of inflation? 83 percent Yes, 11 percent No, 6 percent Undecided.

6. Do you support a tax for developing commuter light rail transportation? 54 percent No, 31 percent Yes, 15 percent Undecided.

7. Would you support a statewide smoking ban? 50 percent Yes, 44 percent No, 6 percent Undecided.

8. Would you support a law requiring doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital where the abortion is taking place? 63 percent Yes, 20 percent No, 17 percent Undecided.

9. Should the state regulate the use of cell phones by all drivers? 69 percent Yes, 25 percent No, 6 percent Undecided.

10. Would you support a constitutional amendment establishing a nonpartisan commission to draw legislative districts that would end gerrymandering? 72 percent Yes, 12 percent No, 16 percent Undecided.

11. Which local government reforms do you support (multiple answers allowed)? 80 percent, prohibit government employees from serving as elected officials; 43 percent, move municipal elections to non-presidential even-numbered years; 18 percent, allow counties to remove the three-member board of county commissioners and replace with a single county executive; 37 percent, eliminate township advisory boards and transfer their oversight functions to the county council; 41 percent, eliminate township government and transfer duties to the county government.[[In-content Ad]]