Poll: Most California Voters Support Tax Measures To Close State Deficit

The Los Angeles Times and USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences polled 1,503 registered voters in early April.

Key Findings

According to the poll, 60% of respondents said they would have supported Brown's initial plan to put a tax extension measure before voters in a June special election (Halper, Los Angeles Times, 4/23).

When asked specifically about the governor's proposal to close the deficit with a mix of tax extensions and spending cuts, 52% of respondents said they supported Brown's plan.

However, 53% of respondents said they would oppose a budget maneuver that pushed the tax measure through the Legislature without a public vote (Siders, "Capitol Alert," Sacramento Bee, 4/24).

The poll also found that only 33% of voters said they would support a plan to balance the budget by imposing deeper cuts to state services.

Although the Legislature already has approved cuts to welfare grants and health care benefits for low-income children, only 26% of voters said they approved of such spending reductions (Los Angeles Times, 4/23).