(Boise, ID) For the first time in six years, more Idahoans — nearly half — believe the state is on track, according to the annual Boise State University Idaho Public Policy Survey.
And hope for Idaho’s economic conditions to improve also rose, up to almost 44% this year.
Asked similar questions last year, Idahoans painted a different picture; almost 43% of Idahoans said they felt the state was on the wrong track, and 36% said they thought Idaho’s economic condition would worsen.
But beyond the optimism, results from the survey released Friday suggest that Idahoans don’t widely agree with some policies being considered, or already approved, by the Idaho Legislature — which is looking to allow tax funds to support private and religious education and has refused to enact more exceptions Idaho’s near-total abortion bans.
About 53% of Idahoans oppose — including 37% of respondents who strongly oppose — allowing tax dollars to pay for private or religious education. But most, 52%, of Republicans support that, compared to 36% of Independents and 12% of Democrats who supported it.
That is likely to be one of the most contentious policy debates in the Legislature this year.
Most — 55% — of Idahoans say they favor allowing abortions through at least the first trimester of pregnancy, while 38% say they believe abortion should be allowed through fetal viability.
Here’s Idahoans’ top priorities for the Idaho Legislature to address:
- Education remains Idahoans top priority for the Idaho Legislature to address for the 10th consecutive year, with support rising by six points to 79% this year from last year.
- Jobs and the economy came in a close second, with 71%, followed by health care (69%) as the third; housing (64%) as the fourth, and taxes (60%) as the fifth. The environment (54%) came in sixth, and transportation (42%) came in seventh.
Here’s Idahoans’ top priorities for the Idaho Legislature to address in the state’s budget:
- 1st place: Workforce and affordable housing (32%);
- 2nd place: Support for K-12 education funding (28%);
- 3rd place: support for tax relief for Idahoans (23%).
But support for many policy positions depended on the details — or how surveyors asked the question.
This story first appeared on Idaho Capital Sun.
