A recent poll commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) shows Mainers are concerned about pocketbook economic issues, the affordability of health care, and education. Mainers also support recent state legislative actions to address these issues and the direction Maine is going after the 2019 legislative session.
Legislators took significant steps in the 2019 session to address the concerns of Mainers and this polling demonstrates ongoing support for progressive policy solutions to the problems facing the state.
Mainers Support Action on Economic Concerns
On a scale of 1 to 10, voters supported legislative action to:
- Establish more protections for workers including fairness in overtime pay and scheduling, and preventing wage theft: 7.53
- Require paid sick days: 7.42
- Expand broadband to rural communities: 7.27
- Fund housing bonds for the construction of new affordable housing units for low income seniors: 7.19
- Create a state insurance fund to ensure that all employees can take medical or family leave: 6.92
- Reduce the gender wage gap: 6.89
Voters Support Action on Health Care
Maine voters prioritize action on health care with a focus on affordability and addressing the opioid epidemic. On a scale of 1 to 10, voters supported legislative action to:
- Make prescription drugs more affordable: 8.2
- Hold pharma companies accountable for the opioid crisis: 7.75
- Create a board to set price limits on drugs: 7.35
Mainers Support Action on Education
Maine voters are concerned about the affordability of higher education and support action to increase access to early childhood education. On a scale of 1 to 10, voters supported legislative action to:
- Provide student debt forgiveness for any Mainer who lives and works in Maine for at least five years after they graduate from college: 6.99
- Make community college free for all Maine residents who maintain a C average or better while they attend school: 6.88
- Ensure every school district offers public preschool: 6.82
Click here to see the poll memo and here for a presentation on full results.
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The State Innovation Exchange commissioned Lincoln Park Strategies to complete the research. The survey was conducted June 14 to June 20 with 600 respondents and has a margin of error ± 4 percent at the 95% confidence interval.