EXCLUSIVE: Poll shows Alabamians staunchly oppose tax hikes, prefer spending cuts and reforms

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A survey by nationally-known public opinion research firm McLaughlin & Associates shows widespread disdain for taxes among the Alabama electorate, making support for a potential tax increase a politically untenable position for state lawmakers.

The scientific poll of 500 likely primary voters, which was shared exclusively with Yellowhammer News, showed in a series of questions that Alabamians maintain a deep aversion to tax increases and also believe there is more room in the state’s budgets to make cuts.

When asked about the current level of taxation in Alabama, voters responded as follows: (particularly notable numbers are in bold.)

Believe they are too high: 33.2 percent
Believe they are too low: 9.8 percent
Believe they are about right: 54.6 percent
Don’t know: 2.4 percent

When asked about the current level of Alabama state government spending, voters responded as follows:

Believe it is too high: 62 percent
Believe it is too low: 5 percent
Believe it is about right 24.4 percent
Don’t know: 8.6 percent

When presented with the statement, “It is possible to balance Alabama’s state budget without raising taxes,”

72.2 percent agreed
22.8 percent disagreed
2 percent were unsure

When asked, “Governor Bentley has proposed a plan to balance Alabama’s state budget by raising state taxes by more than $500 million. Knowing this, would you say you favor or oppose Governor Bentley’s plan to raise Alabama state taxes?” Voters responded as follows:

Favor: 21.4 percent
Oppose: 71.8 percent
Don’t know: 6.8 percent

58 percent of survey respondents also said the tax increase plan gave them a less favorable opinion of Gov. Bentley, while 8.2 percent said more favorable and 30.8 percent said it did not impact their view of the governor one way or the other.

When asked if support for a plan like the governor’s would make them more or less likely to support a legislative candidate, 66.2 percent said “less likely,” while only 14.8 said “more likely” and 11.8 percent said it would not make a difference to them either way.

The survey’s stinging numbers come at a time when the governor and legislature have found themselves at odds over a solution to a $200-plus million shortfall in the state’s General Fund budget. The governor and some lawmakers have pushed for tax hikes, but a growing bloc of conservatives have expressed concerns that they would be abandoning their principles to patch the budget hole, rather than making further cuts and reforms.

According the McLaughlin & Associates president Jim McLaughlin, the apprehensions of conservative legislators are largely in line with the electorate they represent.

“Primary voters in Alabama understand the state has a budget problem, but they have a lot of faith in Republicans to solve it,” he said. “They want them to do it without raising taxes because they believe that hurts the economy and kills jobs. They want reforms, but definitely don’t want tax increases and don’t think they’re necessary.”

Roughly two-thirds (64 percent) of survey respondents said they approve of the job the Republican legislative majority is doing, compared with 19 percent disapproving. Those are particularly strong numbers for any legislative body, especially when compared to the U.S. Congress, whose approval numbers frequently threaten to dip into the single digits.

“The Republican majority has built up a lot of equity, faith and trust with Alabama voters,” concluded McLaughlin. “They have come in and been the true conservative reformers. Voters want them to stay on the right path and, to them, the right path is right-sizing government, holding the line on taxes and continuing their fight to bring conservative reform to Alabama.”