Date: Fri, 28 Jan 1994 14:10:00 EDT From: Song Weaver Subject: Idaho Against Anti-gay Initiative The following article appeared in Boise's Idaho Statesman on Jan. 28, 1994 and is reproduced without permission. ========================================================== IDAHOANS AGAINST ANIT-GAY INITIATIVE, BUT FAVOR 1% [TAX] REVISION, SURVEY SHOWS By Charles Etlinger The Idaho Statesman Idahoans may be ready to vote yes for property tax relief, but no on a measure designed to limit gay rights. That's according to the latest guage of public opinion in Idaho by Boise State University's Survey Research Center on two issues likely to be on the November ballot. The revised 1 Percent Property Tax Initiative drew the support of 51 percent of those who knew about it, while 38 percent were opposed. AND BY 2-1, those polled opposed the Idaho Citizens Alliance proposal to restrict "special rights" for homosexuals. BSU surveyed 810 Idahoans in its fifth annual study of public issues. The survey has a plus or minus 3.4 percent margin of error when applied to reflect the views of Idaho adults. But it offers only a snapshot of public opinion when pollees were phoned in late October and early November, said BSU political scientist Gary Moncrief. [... other results omitted ...] The survey said 54 percent opposed and 26 percent supported the anti-gay initiative proposed by the Idaho Citizens Alliance. But many of the respondents didn't give opinions on the measure. About one-third of the respondents, many from Northern Idaho, said they hadn't heard of it, so they weren't asked for their position. And 20 percent of those asked said they weren't sure where they stood. "When you put those two things together, that's a substantial portion of people," Moncrief cautioned. Brian Bergquist, co-chairman of Don't Sign On, a coalition opposed to the measure, said, "It's very encouraging this early on that many people have taken time to educate themselves about it." The measure's chief proponent, Kelly Walton, said the survey didn't reflect public opinion because the question used the neutral term "policies regarding homosexuality," instead of the widely used reference "anti-gay." Some voters might think the measure was proposed to guarantee rights for gays, he said. "The campaign hasn't really started yet. It's premature to measure how people will vote until they know what a 'yes' vote means." A late November poll commissed by the Idaho Citizens Alliance -- and challenged by initiative foes -- found that 63 percent support the anti-gay initiative. PIE CHART on front page: Opinions regarding ICA initiative on homosexuality: Number of respondents: 515 Against ICA Initiative xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 54% For ICA xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 26% Not Sure xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 20% ---30---