Voters were asked whether they would rate the performance of the session as excellent, pretty good, fair or poor. The first two categories were combined to get a positive rating, while the last two made up the negative score.
When asked how they would rate the 2005 Legislature, 49 percent of voters gave it positive marks, while 45 percent handed it negative grades, with 6 percent undecided.
The questions were asked in a telephone poll of 625 likely voters taken May 23-25 for Lee by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research of Washington, D.C. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
The report card for the 2005 session was far better than what polls asking the identical question gleaned from Montana voters in 2003 and 2001.
In 2003, 70 percent of voters had a negative assessment of the Legislature, while 27 percent had a positive one, with 3 percent undecided. In 2001, 58 percent of voters had a negative evaluation of the Legislature, while 27 percent had a positive one and 15 percent were undecided.
In 2001 and 2003, Republicans controlled both the House and Senate, and Republican Judy Martz was governor. Lawmakers came to town in 2003 facing a $232 million potential general fund deficit because of revenue shortfalls, so had to cut budgets and reduce planned increases in spending.
In 2005, Democrats gained control of the Senate for the first time since 1993, while the House was tied 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats. Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat, is governor. In contrast, lawmakers this time initially faced a general budget surplus of nearly $300 million before allocating the money.
The poll also asked Montana voters which political party - Democrats or Republicans - did the best job, in their opinion, representing their views on these seven issues:
Funding K-12 schools: Democrats, 35 percent; Republicans 27 percent; none or don't know, 38 percent.
Holding the line on state spending and tax increases: Republicans, 40 percent; Democrats 27 percent; none or don't know, 33 percent.
Funding human services programs for the poor, disabled and elderly: Democrats
49 percent; Republicans 21 percent; none or don't know, 30 percent.
Keeping the government out of your life: Republicans, 39 percent; Democrats,
20 percent; none or don't know, 41 percent.
Trying to improve the economy: Republicans, 35 percent; Democrats, 31 percent; none or don't know, 34 percent.
Looking out for your family's interests: Democrats, 34 percent; Republicans, 33 percent; none or don't know, 33 percent.
Protecting the environment: Democrats,
49 percent; Republicans 22 percent; none or don't know, 29 percent.
Poll results, however, gave Republicans a slight advantage when looking ahead to the next legislative races. The poll asked this question: "If the 2006 election for your state representative were held today, would you most likely vote for the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate?"
Voters picked Republicans over Democrats by a 40 percent to 35 percent margin, with 25 percent undecided.
Mason-Dixon Polling has asked the same question 15 times over the past decade in Lee Newspapers polls. More voters have said they would vote for a Republican than a Democrat for state representative in 13 of the polls.
A Lee poll in May 2003 showed voters tied at 40 percent between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats were slightly ahead, 38 percent to 37 percent, in May 1997.
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