MPBC Poll Reveals Strong Disapproval of 2023 Legislative Session Priorities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 2, 2023

 

Contact:

Mitchell Williamson

Mitchell@growthmn.com

(612) 404-0414

Minnetonka, Minn. – The Minnesota Private Business Council today announced new polling showing voters in Minnesota house battleground districts overwhelmingly disapprove of 2023 legislative session priorities around taxes, spending, and other issues.

 

The poll showed massive opposition to several economic policies passed by the current DFL majorities, including creating a new state tax on capital gains (65.9% opposed), imposing a new fee on deliveries (61.7% opposed), raising the gas tax (72.5% opposed), and implementing a payroll tax for paid family leave (58.1% opposed).

 

“These findings show that the average Minnesotan knows that this last legislative session was the most anti-jobs session in Minnesota history,” said Jim Schultz, the President and CEO of the Minnesota Private Business Council. “The far-left politicians running our state should turn away from policies that kill jobs and instead work with Republicans to grow opportunity in Minnesota.”

 

The poll also showed dissatisfaction with overall legislative performance, with just 33.7% of Minnesotans approving of the way the Minnesota legislature is doing its job, and only 36.7% of Minnesotans saying the state is on the right track. 43.3% of respondents approved of Governor Tim Walz’s job performance, and 51.6% disapproved.

 

DFL legislation limiting the ability of school resource officers to respond to violent incidents in schools was particularly unpopular, with 73.9% of Minnesotans opposing the change.

 

The poll surveyed 1,306 registered voters ages 18 and over between September 19–21, 2023 in 22 of Minnesota’s most competitive state house districts. These state house battleground districts will likely decide the next Minnesota House majority. The survey was conducted with a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percentage points and a confidence interval of 95%. Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.

 

The following key findings reflect the opinion of Minnesotans on the 2023 legislative session and other top issues:

Voters Overwhelmingly Disapprove Of The Way The Minnesota Legislature Is Doing Its Job

Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Minnesota legislature is doing its job?

Voters Strongly Oppose The 2023 Legislative Session Priorities Passed By The DFL

We will show you a list of legislation passed by the Minnesota legislature during the 2023 legislative session. For each one, please indicate whether you support or oppose each priority – or if you have no opinion of them.

 

Aiming to limit the ability of school resource officers to respond to violent incidents in schools:

Creating a new state tax on capital gains:

Imposing a new 50-cent fee on certain retail deliveries such as those from Amazon, Fed-Ex, or Door Dash:

Raising the gas tax by 5-cents per gallon over the current rate of 28.5-cents per gallon:

Creating a new payroll tax to pay for a state-run paid family leave program:

52% Of Voters Rate The Work Done By The DFL Majority In The Minnesota Legislature During The 2023 Legislative Session As Bad Or Poor

How would you rate the work done by the Democrat majority in the Minnesota legislature during the 2023 legislative session?

56% Of Voters Think New Spending And Taxes Passed By The DFL During The 2023 Legislative Session Will Have A Negative Effect On The Economy And Inflation

In Minnesota During the 2023 legislative session, at a time when the state had a record $17.5 billion budget surplus, the Minnesota legislature voted for $18 billion in new spending and passed $8.9 billion in new taxes and fees. Do you think these new spending and tax increases will have a positive or negative effect on the economy and inflation in Minnesota?

59% Of Voters Think One-Party Control In Minnesota Is A Bad Thing For The State

As you may know, there is currently one-party control in Minnesota. That means the Governor is a Democrat, and that Democrats have majorities in both chambers of the Minnesota legislature. Do you think that one-party control in Minnesota is a good thing, a bad thing, or does it make no real difference?

83% Of Voters Support Eliminating The State Tax On Social Security Income

Do you support or oppose eliminating the state tax on social security income?

Other Findings From The Poll:

– 61.2% support the concept of school choice, including 69.2% of Independents and 83.9% of Republicans.

 

– 84% believe in cash bail for all violent offenders, including 69.2% of Democrats, 87.4% of Independents, and 95.8% of Republicans.

 

– 66.4% believe that people who owe student debt should be paying their debt now, including 74.2% of Independents and 88.5% of Republicans.

 

– 78.6% believe that banning gas-powered lawn mowers, chainsaws, and ice-resurfacing machines like Zambonis will make no real difference on curbing climate change, including 54.4% of Democrats, 85.4% of Independents, and 97.7% of Republicans.

Political Environment From The Poll:

Direction of State: 54.2% believe Minnesota is off on the wrong track, including 60.1% of Independents and 93.5% of Republicans, while 36.7% say things are headed in the right direction.

 

Would you say things in Minnesota are headed in the right direction, or off on the wrong track?

– 66.4% believe that people who owe student debt should be paying their debt now, including 74.2% of Independents and 88.5% of Republicans.

– 78.6% believe that banning gas-powered lawn mowers, chainsaws, and ice-resurfacing machines like Zambonis will make no real difference on curbing climate change, including 54.4% of Democrats, 85.4% of Independents, and 97.7% of Republicans.

2024 Legislature Generic Ballot: Republicans hold a 7.5% advantage over Democrats on the generic ballot with 44.6%. Although Independents were more aligned with Republicans on the issues in this poll, 55.1% remain undecided on which party they will support for state legislature in 2024.

Governor Walz Job Approval: 51.6% disapprove of the way Governor Tim Walz is handling his job as governor, including 57.3% of Independents and 89.7% of Republicans, while 43.3% approve.

 

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Tim Walz is handling his job as Minnesota governor?

About the Minnesota Private Business Council:

The Minnesota Private Business Council advocates for commonsense policies supporting Minnesota industry and innovation and benefiting Minnesota’s workers, families, and communities. Comprised of privately held businesses from a broad array of Minnesota industries, the Minnesota Private Business Council advocates for policies leading to job growth, new business creation and entrepreneurship, and broad-based well-being for Minnesota’s workers and their families. For more information, please visit www.GrowthMN.com.

Jim Schultz is the president and executive director of the Minnesota Private Business Council and was the Republican nominee for Minnesota attorney general in 2022. He can be reached at jim@growthmn.com.

More News...