By TODD STACY, Alabama Daily News
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A new poll shows Alabama voters strongly favor a special legislative session to take action on unfinished business but are also open to the use of technology, remote voting and other measures to conduct business safely.
In a survey of general election voters conducted by Cygnal for Alabama Daily News, more than 78% of voters said they support Gov. Kay Ivey calling a special session to address unfinished business.
In May, the Alabama Legislature adjourned its Regular Session that was severely curtailed by the coronavirus. After only meeting sparingly for two months, the House and Senate returned to a socially-distanced State House to pass only essential legislation, including the two state budgets and the distribution plan for the $1.7 billion the state received from the federal CARES Act.
However, several other bills that could have been considered essential were left at the wayside:
- Legislation reauthorizing two state economic development laws. The state’s signature tax incentives for luring new businesses expire at the end of the year and another incentive law aiding local industrial parks has already expired.
- A bill offering limited civil immunity from coronavirus-related lawsuits to businesses, non-profits, churches, government entities and other groups.
- A pro-forma bill preventing federal relief funds related to COVID-19 to individuals and businesses from being taxed as income by the state.
These bills, which enjoy widespread if not unanimous support, died when House members wanted to focus the end of the 2020 session on budget-related bills and local legislation.
“Earlier this spring, the Legislature adjourned its regular session amid the coronavirus outbreak without addressing key legislative proposals, including those for economic development, limiting coronavirus related lawsuits, and preventing Alabamians from being taxed for any coronavirus relief funding they receive. Do you support or oppose Governor Kay Ivey calling a special legislative session to address these issues?”
| Response | % |
|---|---|
| Strongly support | 47.1% |
| Somewhat support | 30.4% |
| Total support | 78.1% |
| Somewhat oppose | 6.6% |
| Strongly oppose | 6.3% |
| Total oppose | 12.9 |
| Unsure | 9% |
Support for the Legislature went even higher without the context of a special session but within the context of other state legislatures meeting over the last several months and most Alabamians returning to work. Asked if the Alabama Legislature should meet in person to conduct vital state business, so long as proper safeguards were put in place, 82.6% said yes.
“Even amid the pandemic, many states have held legislative sessions, and most Alabamians have continued to go to work. Should the Alabama Legislature meet in-person to conduct vital state business, as long as proper safeguards are put in place?”
| Response | % |
|---|---|
| Definitely yes | 57.5% |
| Probably yes | 25.1% |
| Total yes | 82.6% |
| Probably no | 6.3% |
| Definitely no | 4.4% |
| Total no | 10.7% |
| Unsure | 6.8% |
In light of the continued threat from COVID-19, a strong majority of state voters say they would support proxy or remote voting from older lawmakers who are more at risk from the virus. A full 72% said they would support such practices so long as a majority met in Montgomery, which 22.6% said they would oppose it.
“Some members of the Legislature are senior citizens and are therefore at high risk for Covid-19. Would you support allowing such legislators to vote by proxy or Zoom, so long as at least a majority of the Legislature continues to meet and vote in-person at the Statehouse?”
| Response | % |
|---|---|
| Strongly support | 41.1% |
| Somewhat support | 31.0% |
| Total support | 72.1% |
| Somewhat oppose | 8.5% |
| Strongly oppose | 14.2% |
| Total oppose | 22.6% |
| Unsure | 5.2% |
The survey also tested what issues voters believe the Legislature should be addressing. Topping the list of choices were creating jobs and rebuilding the economy at 22% and controlling the spread of the Coronavirus at 20.3%. Other issues, including education, healthcare, infrastructure and cutting wasteful spending were in the 12-13% range. Expanding high speed internet statewide was the top issue for only 3.5% of voters.
“Which one of the following issues do you believe should be the top priority for the Alabama State Legislature?”
| Choice | % |
|---|---|
| Creating jobs and rebuilding the economy | 22.0% |
| Controlling the spread of the Coronavirus | 20.03% |
| Providing access to quality and affordable healthcare | 13.4% |
| Improving education | 12.6% |
| Fixing roads and improving infrastructure | 12.2% |
| Cutting wasteful spending | 12.1% |
| Expanding broadband / high-speed Internet statewide | 3.9% |
| Unsure | 3.5% |
Getting into the cross tabs, Cygnal provided helpful “heat maps” to track demographic trends on the different questions.
This analysis came from Cygnal’s Chris Kratzer:
“Republicans are especially adamant that the Legislature should carry out its proceedings in-person: 90% of GOP voters say lawmakers should conduct legislative sessions in-person, provided proper safeguards are put in place.”
Also from Kratzer:
Voters think legislators should meet in-person and that the public should have in-person access to the proceedings, but 72% of Alabamians do think senior citizen lawmakers and others at high-risk from Covid should be able to vote by proxy or even via a tool like Zoom, so long as a majority of lawmakers continue to meet and vote in-person. Voters age 18-34 are especially likely to support voting by proxy or Zoom.”
The survey was conducted Nov. 16-17 among 600 likely general election voters and has a margin of error of +/- 4.0%. Known registered voters were interviewed via live phone calls, interactive voice response and text message invitation in Cygnal’s multi-mode survey method. The survey was weighted to reflect a likely general election voter universe.
Additional results of the survey will be reported in the coming days exclusively available to ADN Insiders.