Florida voters oppose arming teachers and support police working with immigration authorities

Strong majorities of Florida voters in a poll released Wednesday support requiring local law enforcement in the state to work with federal immigration authorities and oppose allowing teachers, even with training, to carry guns in schools.

The findings come from a Quinnipiac University poll that asked Florida voters for their views on a range of issues.

Guns

Allowing trained teachers and school officials to carry guns on school grounds is opposed by 57 percent of Florida voters and supported by 40 percent.

Quinnipiac found a significant gender gap on the issue, with 63 percent of women and 50 percent of men opposed.

Asked what would do more to reduce gun violence in schools, 58 percent of voters chose stricter gun laws with 32 percent saying arming teachers.

Gun issues have been a focus in the state for the last 13 months, since 17 people were killed and 17 injured at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Parkland on Feb. 14, 2018.

Polls since the shooting have consistently shown voters oppose arming teachers.

The Legislature is considering expansion of the law passed after the Parkland shooting that allows trained administrators, librarians and security officials to carry guns in schools. The program might be expanded to include arming classroom teachers.

Quinnipiac also found 59 percent of voters support stricter gun laws in Florida, with 37 percent opposed.

A majority of Florida voters, 55 percent, said the state would be less safe if more people carried guns. Another 35 percent said the state would be safer.

There were dramatic differences based on gender and political affiliation, with 67 percent of Republicans saying more people carrying guns would make the state safer and 90 percent of Democrats saying it would make the state less safe. Among women, 62 percent said more guns would make the state less safe, compared to 48 percent of men. And 80 percent of black voters, 58 percent of Hispanic voters and 49 percent of white voters said it would make the state less safe.

A total of 70 percent of voters said Florida needs to do more to address gun violence. Another 22 percent said Florida is doing enough and 4 percent said it’s doing too much.

Immigration

Florida voters strongly support — 61 percent to 27 percent — Gov. Ron DeSantis’ push to require local law enforcement to work with federal immigration authorities.

He supports legislation that would preemptively prohibit counties and cities from limiting cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE.

The idea has more support than opposition among most demographic groups: 68 percent support from white voters, 51 percent among black voters, and 48 percent among Hispanic voters.

Only Democrats showed more opposition (50 percent) than support (37 percent).

Florida voters support, 57 percent to 35 percent, a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Voters are divided over whether undocumented immigrants are provided “too much protection” in Florida, with 34 percent of voters saying they get too much, 25 percent say not enough protection, and 26 percent say they get the right amount of protection.

Climate change

Florida voters show a lot of concern over climate change.

— 72 percent are concerned, something that cuts across demographic groups, including Democrats (92 percent), independents (77 percent), men (68 percent), and women (75 percent). Republican concern was lower, at 44 percent.

— 66 percent are concerned that they or a family member “will be personally affected by climate change.”

— 45 percent say climate change will have a “significant negative effect on Florida” in their lifetime; 48 percent say it will not. The results showed marked differences based on age, with 55 percent of voters 18-34 seeing a significant effect in their lifetimes compared with 35 percent of voters older than 65.

Offshore drilling

Voters are overwhelmingly opposed to drilling in the ocean off the Florida coast. The poll found 64 percent of Floridians are opposed to offshore drilling and 29 percent support it.

Republicans were the only demographic group to supporting drilling, with 54 percent in favor and 38 percent opposed.

Fine print

Quinnipiac surveyed 1,058 Florida voters from Wednesday through Monday with live callers to landlines and cell phones. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Breakdowns for smaller groups, such as Democrats, Republicans and independents and men and women, have higher margins of error.

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