Poll: Brown’s Approval Rating Dips, But Support for Tax Hike Plan Rises
Gov. Jerry Brown's (D) job approval rating has decreased since last month, but support for his compromise tax hike proposal has increased slightly, according to poll released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Job Approval Rating
According to the poll, 43% of likely voters disapprove of Brown's job performance, while 42% approve of it. In April, 47% of likely voters approved of his job performance.
According to the Bee, the decrease in voter approval came after Brown's announcement that he was revising his estimate of the state budget deficit from $9.2 billion to $15.7 billion (Siders, Sacramento Bee, 5/24).
Brown said that the higher deficit estimate is the result of a slow economic recovery and decisions by the federal government to block proposed state spending cuts (California Healthline, 5/14).
Approval for Tax Hike Measure
According to the poll, likely voters remain supportive of a compromise tax hike plan developed by Brown and supporters of the "Millionaires Tax." The poll found that 56% of likely voters support the tax hike, which is slightly higher than in April (Sacramento Bee, 5/24).
The tax hike plan would:
- Increase the personal income tax by one percentage point for individuals who earn $250,000 annually or couples who earn $500,000 annually and by two percentage points for individuals who earn $300,000 annually or couples who earn $600,000 annually;
- Extend the income tax increases on wealthy residents from five to seven years; and
- Increase the sales tax by a quarter of a cent.
The sales tax hike would expire in four years.
The proposal would raise an estimated $9 billion over the next fiscal year.
Earlier this month, Brown began submitting voter signatures to qualify the measure for the November ballot (California Healthline, 5/11).
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