By Ken Warren, Ph.D., SLU/YouGov Poll Associate Director
In our February 2023 SLU/YouGov Poll, we wanted to know how Missouri鈥檚 likely voters felt about a variety of newsworthy issues. When asked about what they considered the top priority for Missouri state government, focusing on the economy was mentioned first (44%), followed by education (18%), health care (17%), and infrastructure (15%). Since only 20% of Missouri鈥檚 likely voters in another question rated Missouri鈥檚 economy as 鈥済ood鈥� (18%) to 鈥渆xcellent鈥� (2%), it is understandable that a large plurality prioritized the economy above other public policy concerns. Republicans were much more likely to say the economy should be Missouri鈥檚 top priority than Democrats, 64% to 26%. Democrats were more likely to rate health care and education as a top priority compared to Republicans, 26% to 7% and 23% to 11% respectively.
Only twenty-one percent of Missouri鈥檚 likely voters rated public schools in the State of Missouri as 鈥済ood鈥� (22%) to 鈥渆xcellent鈥� (1%) with 42% saying 鈥渇air鈥� and 27% answering 鈥減oor鈥�, while they just 16% rated 鈥渞oads and infrastructure鈥� 鈥済ood鈥� (15%) to 鈥渆xcellent鈥� (1%). When asked to rate the following in their community, they rated 鈥済ood鈥� to 鈥渆xcellent鈥� race relations (43%), public schools (37%), and crime (35%),
A question that has attracted a lot of media attention nationwide, as well as in Missouri, has been: 鈥淪hould parents of students have the right to object to the instructional materials used in their child鈥檚 classroom?鈥� Sixty-two percent of Missouri鈥檚 likely voters 鈥渁greed鈥�, 26% 鈥渄isagreed鈥�, and 12% answered 鈥渘ot sure鈥�. Republican leaders have pushed for parental control over subject matter taught, as well as educational materials used in the classroom, so it was not surprising to find that Republican respondents were much more likely than Democrats to 鈥渁gree鈥�, 86% to 32% respectively. Those with lower educational levels were also more likely to 鈥渁gree鈥� than those with higher educational achievement. In fact, a perfect pattern was found; 78% of those with only a high school education said they 鈥渁gree鈥�, 60% with 鈥渟ome college鈥�, 52% with a 鈥渃ollege degree鈥�, and 45% with those with post-graduate education.
We also asked respondents whether 鈥渂etting on collegiate and professional sports should be legalized in Missouri?鈥� A slight plurality opposed the idea (41%) with 35% favoring the idea, but a fairly large percentage, 24%, were 鈥渘ot sure鈥�. Republicans were more likely to oppose making betting on collegiate and professional sports legal in Missouri than Democrats, 44% to 35% respectively. The Kansas City metro likely voters were the most in favor of the idea (47%), followed by the St. Louis metro likely voters (41%) with rural area likely voters the least favorable to the idea (NE MO, 33%, SE MO, 26%, and SW MO, 20%).
Recently, controversy has taken place in Missouri over what percentage of the vote should be required to amend the state鈥檚 constitution via a ballot initiative, so we asked Missouri likely voters what percentage it should take. Thirteen percent said it should take 50% of the votes, 22% said it should take 60% of the votes, 33% said 66%, and 15% said that 鈥渧oters should not be able to amend the state constitution via an initiative鈥�. Republicans were more in favor of making it more difficult to amend Missouri鈥檚 constitution with 37% favoring requiring a 66% majority compared to 25% for Democrats with 17% of Republican likely voters saying that 鈥渧oters should not be able to amend the state constitution via an initiative鈥� compared to only 9% for Democrats. These poll results were not surprising since Republicans hold every statewide office and dominate the Missouri legislature , thus controlling public policy making in Missouri. Consequently, they do not want Democrats doing an 鈥渆nd-run鈥� around them via the initiative process as they did with the initiative that passed Medicaid expansion in August 4, 2020, 53.3% to 46.7%, against the wishes of Republican politicians in Jefferson City.
Currently, Missouri鈥檚 Sunshine Act allows the public to make requests for government documents such as meeting records, public officials鈥� communications, etc. Governor Parson, as well as other Republicans, are thinking of making changes to the Sunshine law to limit public access to certain documents. We asked in our SLU/YouGov Poll whether likely Missouri voters favor or oppose certain changes. Sixteen percent favored limiting public access to drafts of proposed legislation with 67% opposed; 44% favored permitting redaction of names and emails of citizens making requests for communications with 32% opposed; and 27% favored adding fees for the time it takes custodians of records to redact documents with 48% opposed. Republicans were more in favor of these proposed changes than Democrats, although both Republicans and Democrats were strongly opposed to limiting public access to drafts of proposed legislation, but a greater percentage of Democrats were opposed than Republicans, 70% to 57%.
Disturbing gun violence in the United States, gun deaths, and mass shootings have caused gun control advocates to propose all sorts of gun control reforms, but proponents of gun rights have not been so supportive of reforms. We wanted to see how Missouri鈥檚 likely voters stood on various gun control measures, so we asked a series of questions. Likely Missouri voters favored the following gun-related bans, except to those that are issued to law enforcement officers. Only 7% supported a ban on the sale of all guns, with 85% saying 鈥渄o not ban鈥�; 10% favored banning the sale of all handguns with 83% saying 鈥渄o not ban鈥�; just 6% favored a ban on the sale of all hunting rifles with 88% responding 鈥渄o not ban鈥�; 39% supported banning the sale of magazine clips for semi-automatic weapons with 49% saying 鈥渄o not ban鈥�, and 39% supported the ban of semi-automatic weapons with 50% saying 鈥渄o not ban鈥�
Although most of Missouri鈥檚 likely voters in our SLU/YouGov Poll opposed banning the sale of guns or magazine clips for semi-automatic weapons, they were more supportive of various gun control measures. A strong majority, 79%, favored requiring criminal background checks for all those buying guns, including gun shows and private sales; 69% favored requiring mental health background checks for all those buying guns, including gun shows and private sales; 69% favored requiring people to be at least 21 years old before purchasing a gun; 60% favored requiring people who purchase handguns to wait 72 hours before they receive that gun; and 60% favored red flag laws that allow a court to temporarily remove guns from people that are believed to pose a danger to themselves or others. Despite Missouri鈥檚 likely voters favoring many gun law reforms, Missouri has passed very few gun control laws. Missouri ranks fourth in least restrictive gun control measures, receiving an F grade (Wisevoter) with the third highest gun death rate (World Population Review).
