As lawmakers prepare to take up the controversial Marriage and Conscious Act later today, a new poll of 500 likely Louisiana voters conducted for a pair of conservative groups shows 67% approve of the bill.
The poll, conducted by WPA Opinion Research on behalf of right-leaning Family Research Council and the Louisiana Family Forum Action, also shows 60% of respondents say they’re more likely to cast a vote in the future for a legislator who supports the bill.
The proposed law would prohibit the state from denying individuals, businesses and nonprofits any licenses, benefits, jobs or tax deductions because of action taken “in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction” about marriage.
Sponsored by Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Bossier City, the measure stirred controversy before the legislative session even began. Supporters say it would protect the religious views of those who believe marriage should be between a man and woman, while critics have said it will sanction discrimination against same-sex couples.
Results of the poll, which had a 4.4% margin of error, show support for the Marriage and Conscious Act is weakest in Baton Rouge among the state’s seven metro areas. Here, support for the bill is at 58%, while 34% of respondents said they’re opposed, according to the poll. Support for the bill is strongest in Alexandria, at 84%; followed by Lake Charles, 82%; Monroe, 75%; Shreveport, 74%; Lafayette, 65%; and New Orleans, 63%, the poll shows.
FRC President Tony Perkins says in a prepared statement the poll results show “Louisianans strongly agree that a person or nonprofit shouldn’t lose tax exempt status, face disqualification, or be punished by the government for simply believing what President Obama believe just three years ago, that marriage is the union of man and a woman.”
See the complete poll results.
—Steve Sanoski
