Field Poll Shows Support for Prop 13 Remains Strong 30 Years Later, But Voters May Favor Some Changes

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Sometimes It’s How the Question is Asked That Makes a Big Difference

By Frank D. Russo

The California Field Poll has just released today, on the 30th anniversary of Proposition 13, findings of a survey of registered voters. It shows strong support for Proposition 13 and that it would pass again if presented to the voters.

The generally available numbers at the moment are in a special digest from Field. To get a better understanding of the responses Field asked, which include questions on taxes in general as well, one must dive into the 61 pages of crosstabs, which are available through the Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Alert.

There are no two ways about many of these findings. Let’s take a look.

First of all, how familiar do registered voters say they are with Prop 13?

Field asked: “Thirty years ago in 1978 California voters approved Proposition 13, which reduced local property taxes and limited the amount they could be increased each year. How familiar are you with Proposition 13 – very familiar, somewhat familiar, not too familiar or not at all familiar?”

The results fall roughly into thirds, with 36.8% saying they were very familiar, 30% saying somewhat familiar, and 33.2% saying they were anywhere from not too familiar to not familiar at all. This latter third includes the .5% who say they don’t even know how familiar they are with it (an interesting response!)

There are some wrinkles here, even with the smaller subsets and higher margins of error, include more familiarity of Prop 13 by Republicans than Democrats and the least familiarity of it with non-partisan/others (who we will call independents) and of whom 44.5% are not too familiar or less with it. Familiarity also increases with age. In the youngest set of voters, age 18 to 29, those who report they are very familiar are at 7.2% and those who say they are “not at all familiar” are 57.7%. There’s a straight line progression here ending with the 65 and older crowd who are the polar opposite with 62.3% professing to be very familiar with Prop 13.