First draft/opinions

The poll in this week’s Idaho Politics Weekly takes on the question of Idahoans views on the “ag-gag” law. That law was passed in 2014 in overwhelming votes by the Idaho Legislature, with few Republicans (and many of the Democrats) voting against. That would seem to indicate legislators, in general, felt they were representing constituent viewpoints in supporting the measure. But that doesn’t comport well with the reports in the IPW poll, which asked whether Idahoans agreed with Federal Judge Lynn Winmill’s decision killing the law as unconstitutional. “Pollster Dan Jones & Associates finds that 53 percent of Idahoans support the judge’s ruling, 32 percent oppose it, and 16 percent don’t know. Jones polled 508 adults from Aug. 20-31; the survey having a margin of error of plus or minus 4.35 percent.” Not only that, Jones said, “Republicans agree with the striking down of the law, 47-35 percent with 17 percent “don’t know.”” Just how closely do Idaho legislators represent the public? A review of previous IPW polls, among other things, seems in order. – rs

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