Fair survey finds support for Sunday liquor sales

An annual survey of people attending the Minnesota State Fair found strong support for Sunday liquor sales, electronic cigarette regulations and a requirement for employers to give veterans the day off on Veterans Day.

Of the 7,607 fairgoers who completed the nonscientific survey, 64 percent said liquor stores should be allowed to open on Sundays, compared to 28 percent opposed. Support increased slightly and opposition decreased slightly from the 2012 poll.

There was also support for a 5 cent a gallon increase in the state gas tax to fund road and bridge needs.

The survey, conducted by the nonpartisan Minnesota House Public Information Services office, found strong opposition to public subsidies for the 2018 Super Bowl and an elimination of same-day voter registration. By slimmer margins, fair-goers said the state should not legalize the recreational use of marijuana and not prohibit gas pump lottery games.

Here are the survey results:

1.) Should e-cigarettes be regulated the same as tobacco cigarettes?

Yes 66.4% (5,046), No 23.4% (1,778), Undecided/No Opinion: 10.2% (772)

2.) The Super Bowl is scheduled to be played in Minneapolis in 2018. Should the state refuse to provide any additional public subsidies to the NFL?

Yes: 70.1% (5,312), No: 20.1% (1,524), Undecided/No Opinion: 9.8% (741)

3.) Should employers be required to give veterans the opportunity to take Veterans Day off?

Yes: 65.2% (4,939), No: 22.5% (1,706), Undecided/No Opinion: 12.3% (934)

4.) A person convicted of a felony is not eligible to vote while serving any part of their sentence, including time in a correctional facility and also any time on probation, parole or other supervised release. Should the law be changed so a person convicted of a felony regains their right to vote immediately upon release from a correctional facility?

Yes: 43.7% (3,311), No: 47.2% (3,572), Undecided/No Opinion: 9.1% (690)

5.) Should Minnesota do away with same-day voter registration; thereby requiring all voters to be registered before Election Day?

Yes: 25.8% (1,957), No: 70.7% (5,354), Undecided/No Opinion: 3.5% (266)

6.) Should liquor stores be permitted to open on Sundays?

Yes: 64.1% (4,863), No: 27.5% (2,085), Undecided/No Opinion: 8.4% (634)

7.) Consumers can now purchase lottery tickets and play scratch games online, at the gas pump or at an ATM-like machine. Should this be prohibited?

Yes: 34.9% (2,647), No: 50.0% (3,791), Undecided/No Opinion 15.1% (1,144)

8.) A simple majority is now needed for the Legislature to put a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot. Should this threshold be increased?

Yes: 51.6% (3,903), No: 36.8% (2,785), Undecided/No Opinion: 11.6% ...(877)

9.) Should Minnesota allow the recreational use of marijuana for those age 21 and over?

Yes: 43.3% (3,277), No: 48.1% (3,640), Undecided/No Opinion: 8.7% (656)

10.) Should public schools be required to provide swimming lessons to students in kindergarten through 12th grade?

Yes: 38.4% (2,904), No: 49.6% (3,757), Undecided/No Opinion: 12.0% (907)

11.) Minnesota now imposes a sales tax on candy and soft drinks. Should the definition of taxable foods be expanded to include snack items such as chips, popcorn, cookies and ice cream novelties?

Yes: 46.5% (3,526), No: 47.3% (3,588), Undecided/No Opinion: 6.2% (468)

12.) Should the state’s gas tax be increased by 5 cents a gallon to help fund the backlog of highway and bridge needs around the state?

Yes: 54.0% (4,087), No: 40.5% (3,068), Undecided/No Opinion: 5.5% (420)

UPDATE

The Minnesota Senate Information Office released the results of its unscientific State Fair survey, in which 5,340 people took part. Here are the Senate results:

1. Which of the following best reflects your opinion concerning the level of state government services in Minnesota?

A) I am satisfied with the type and amount of services provided. 40.52% (2132)

B) I feel that state government provides more services than necessary. 29.61% (1558)

C) I feel government services should be increased. 24.31% (1279)

D) Undecided/No opinion. 5.55% (292)

2. During the 2014 session, the legislature passed a law requiring all employers with more than 21 employees to increase unpaid parental leave upon the birth or adoption of a child from six weeks to twelve weeks. Do you support changing Minnesota law to require all employers with more than 21 employees to provide paid parental leave for the first six weeks?

A) Yes 56.83% (3003)

B) No 35.47% (1874)

C) Undecided/No opinion 7.70% (407)

3. Should Minnesota require vehicle owners to provide proof of motor vehicle insurance coverage when initially obtaining or renewing vehicle license tabs?

A) Yes 76.31% (4036)

B) No 16.01% (847)

C) Undecided/No opinion 7.68% (406)

4. Should companies that use mobile apps to facilitate ridesharing between passengers and drivers operating their personal vehicles be subject to regulations comparable to taxicab and limousine service regulations in areas such as liability insurance, vehicle standards, driver qualification, driver history, and accessibility for disabled individuals?

A) Yes 42.60% (2247)

B) No 40.02% (2111)

C) Undecided/No opinion 17.38% (917)

5. The Legislature recently established a program to allow patients with a qualifying medical condition to access cannabis (marijuana) for medicinal use. The Legislature limited the delivery methods for medical cannabis to oil or pill forms and specifically excluded smoking. Should patients with a qualifying medical condition be allowed to smoke medical cannabis as a permissible delivery method?

A) Yes, smoking should be allowed as an available delivery method for medical cannabis. 46.40%(2441)

B) Yes, smoking should be allowed as an available delivery method, but only if the patient cannot obtain the medical relief through the use of oil or pill forms due to the patient’s qualifying medical condition. 20.81%(1095)

C) No, smoking should never be allowed as an available delivery method. 28.15%(1481)

D) Undecided/No opinion 5.02%(264)

6. Do you support recent legislative efforts to create more jobs in solar, wind, and energy

efficiency sectors?

A) Yes 74.39% (3928)

B) No 19.79% (1045)

C) Undecided/No opinion 5.81% (307)

7. The Minnesota Constitution requires a simple majority (51%) vote of the legislature to submit a proposed constitutional amendment to voters at a future general election. A bill under discussion during the 2014 session sought to increase the threshold to require a 60% super majority of the legislature to approve these ballot questions. Proponents argue requiring a super majority would lead to fewer, more broadly bi-partisan constitutional amendments; opponents argue the super majority would make it too difficult to propose changes to the Minnesota Constitution. Do you support this legislation?

A) Yes 54.80% (2885)

B) No 32.78% (1726)

C) Undecided/No opinion 12.42% (654)

8. Should the Legislature pass a law requiring the results of teacher performance evaluations to be a higher priority than years of experience in the school district when determining which public school teachers lose their jobs in a lay off situation?

A) Yes 57.52% (3033)

B) No, the current system is appropriate. 28.45% (1500)

C) Undecided/No opinion 14.03% (740)

9. Which of the following statements best reflects your highest priority in handling a budget surplus? (One answer only, please.)

A) Put money in a reserve fund for possible future budget shortfalls. 50.71% (2554)

B) Increase the funding for state government services. 15.79% (795)

C) Send rebate checks to taxpayers. 10.50 % (529)

D) Reduce the personal income tax. 17.47% (880)

E) Reduce the sales tax. 3.63% (183)

F) Undecided/No opinion 1.89% (95)

10. The Metropolitan Council (Met Council) is a regional governance entity in the seven county metropolitan area including Minneapolis and St. Paul. They are responsible for transit, wastewater collection and treatment, affordable housing, regional planning, and other issues related to the metropolitan area. There are 17 board members on the Met Council, made up of a chair and 16 members that each represents a district. How should board members of the Met Council be selected to serve?

A) As under current law the governor should appoint the members subject to state senate confirmation. 22.20 % (1113)

B) The governor should appoint the members, but the legislature and local governments in each district should ultimately approve the appointments. 19.43% (974)

C) Residents of the metropolitan area should elect the members. 44.62% (2237)

D) Undecided/No opinion. 13.74% (689)

11. Should Minnesota establish additional regulations concerning short-term, high-interest loans, commonly known as payday loans?

A) Yes 61.48% (3082)

B) No 14.76% (740)

C) I am not familiar with payday loans. 16.18% (811)

D) Undecided/No opinion 7.58% (380)

12. On average, the state contributes approximately 3% toward the costs of new school facility construction and other significant capital improvements for school buildings. The remaining cost are financed by local property taxes within the district. In districts with less property wealth, the state share is larger; in districts with more property wealth, the state share is smaller. What is your opinion regarding how these costs should be shared?

A) The state should bear the entire cost of constructing new school facilities. 6.04%(302)

B) The state should significantly increase its contribution to the cost of constructing new facilities. 36.84% (1842)

C) The cost-sharing between state and local taxpayers is about right. 39.02% (1951)

D) Local property taxpayers should bear the entire cost of constructing new school facilities. 8.28% (414)

E) Undecided/No opinion 9.82% (491)

13. Should Minnesota require labeling of foods that have been genetically engineered?

A) Yes 59.22% (2967)

B) Yes, if surrounding states have the same labeling requirement. 7.45% (373)

C) No, labeling should be determined at the federal level. 27.27% (1366)

D) Undecided/No opinion 6.07% (304)

14. What is your primary focus when choosing your state legislator?

A. Fiscal issues 18.82% (944)

B. Social issues 20.75 % (1041)

C. Party affiliation 9.75% (489)

D. Personality of the candidate .90% (45)

E. Name recognition .10% (5)

F. A combination of the above 47.22% (2369)

G. I don’t vote .80% (40)

H. Other/No opinion 1.67% (84

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