(UPDATED 6/1/2012 to include an Urban Tulsa Weekly article about renewed attempts to amend Oklahoma’s state liquor laws. The article, which ran in the May 31 – June 6 issue of Urban Tulsa Weekly, refers to the SoonerPoll.com results from August 2011.) Challenge to Change: Latest push for wine sales in grocery stores has plenty of critics By Jaime Adame Jack Bird has owned a liquor store for about 30 years. At Columbia Package Store, 2702 E. 15 St., he estimates that wine purchases make up roughly 40 percent of all sales. An initiative
Read More »(UPDATED 3/21/2012 to include a SoonerPoll.TV interview with Sen. David Holt about the way in which Oklahomans would prefer to eliminate the state income tax.) Originally Published on Aug. 31, 2011 A recent SoonerPoll.com survey revealed most likely voters in the state think that if Oklahoma eliminates the income tax, then it should be phased out without restructuring the tax system to raise other taxes. SoonerPoll asked likely Oklahoma voters the following question: “Gov. Mary Fallin recently said one of her long-term goals is to eliminate the Oklahoma income tax, which is the largest source
Read More »Most likely Oklahoma voters oppose the sale of water to out-of-state districts and communities, such as Texas, according to a recent SoonerPoll study. Results indicate that 65 percent of likely Oklahoma voters polled oppose selling water to out of state districts and communities, compared to 29.3 percent who support selling. Just 5.7 percent of respondents had no opinion. Opposition to water sales has increased by more than 10 percentage points since the last time SoonerPoll polled the question. “I knew the margin was huge in people opposing out-of-state water sales, because growth will go where
Read More »The majority of likely Oklahoma voters polled support a variety of reforms that analysts estimate would save the state of Oklahoma money, according to a recent SoonerPoll study. The survey asked respondents whether they supported implementing cost saving reforms in several areas of annual state spending. In each of the four areas polled, majorities of 55 percent or more supported implementing the cost saving reforms. The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) created a list of what OCPA analysts consider to be, waste, inefficiencies and non-core services in state spending. OCPA holds that the cost saving
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A majority of likely Oklahoma voters polled say they would support legislation that would require the Oklahoma state legislature to abide by the Open Meetings and Open Records Acts, according to a recent SoonerPoll survey. The Open Meetings and Open Records Acts make up a set of rules which are designed to ensure transparency in government. Currently the Oklahoma state legislature is exempt from compliance. When asked whether they would support or oppose legislation that would bring the state legislature into compliance, 85 percent of likely Oklahoma voters polled said they would support the legislation
Read More »Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum leads the pack of Republican primary candidates in Oklahoma, but voters think some candidates are better than others when it comes to certain attributes, according to a recent SoonerPoll study. Results indicate that a plurality of likely Republican primary voters think Santorum is the best candidate when it comes to honesty and ability to understand the problems facing people like them. However, pluralities of Republican voters said that former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is the strongest leader with the best experience. Despite believing that other candidates are better
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By Randy Krehbiel World Staff Writer OKLAHOMA CITY — The hearts and minds of Oklahoma Republicans are pulling them in different directions as the state’s GOP presidential primary approaches. Survey results released Tuesday by SoonerPoll.com show that Oklahoma Republicans think former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has the best chance of beating Democratic incumbent President Barack Obama but that Newt Gingrich is a stronger leader and more experienced. But they like former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. Seventy percent of those surveyed had a favorable opinion of Santorum, with only 14 percent unfavorable. He rated first among
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Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum leads the pack of Republican primary candidates in Oklahoma, according to a recent SoonerPoll survey. If the election were held today, 38.5 percent of likely Republican voters who plan to participate in the March 6 GOP primary said they would cast their vote for Santorum. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney would finish in second place with 23 percent. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who led Oklahoma when SoonerPoll last polled the race in December, fell to third place with just 18 percent. Results indicate that U.S. Rep. Ron
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BY RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum has surged to the front among Oklahoma’s Republican voters, according to a SoonerPoll.com survey released Sunday. Santorum was the first choice of 39 percent of the 278 likely voters who said they planned to participate in the March 6 state GOP primary. Former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, first in a survey conducted last fall, dropped to third, behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who remained second. Romney, generally considered the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, was at 23 percent, followed by
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