The Minnesota Senate and the House of Representatives each had booths at the State Fair, as usual, and allowed visitors to weigh in on weighty issues via poll questions.
The polls were different, with some overlap, and both booths reported record numbers of people taking the time to register their opinions.
Might the budget flap and shutdown have invigorated some latent citizenship feelings?
On the House side (PDF) 12,549 people participated. Some of the results:
- Amend state constitution to ban gay marriage: 66.5 percent, no; 29.8 percent, yes.
- Voter ID: 50.8 percent, yes; 46.4, no.
- Expand gambling for state revenue: 51.6 percent, yes; 40.1 percent, no.
- Ban cell phone use while driving: 62.3 percent, yes; 32.5 percent, no.
- Expand sales tax to include clothing: 30.8 percent, yes; 62.3 percent, no.
Some results on the Senate side (PDF) with 8,324 repondents:
- Voter ID: 46.7 percent, yes; 50.35 percent, no.
- Liquor stores open on Sundays and holidays: 63.5 percent, yes; 31 percent, no.
- Ban cell phones while driving: 50 percent, yes; 25.5 percent, yes, with adult exception for hands-free devices; 21.6 percent, no.
- Change teacher tenure to retain by performance, not seniority: 62.3 percent, yes; 25.9 percent, no.
The main purpose of the poll was “to familiarize fair-goers with some of the issues that were considered during the past year, or may be dealt with in 2011,” said Scott Magnuson and John Trombley of the Senate Information Office.
I skipped filling out the poll, because I figured, “What’s the point?” Now I’m pleasantly surprised by the results. Trust the people.
I agree with some of the results, disagree with others. That’s democracy.