By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX –
To no one's surprise, Texans polled in the Texas Lone Star Survey released today by Fleishman-Hillard deem public education the number one issue in the state, and they rank improvements to the current education system their number one priority for state lawmakers as the 79th Legislature convenes this week in Austin.
"According to the poll, a vast majority of the electorate accepts the fact that the education system needs additional tax dollars," said Chris Talley, general manager of Fleishman-Hillard Austin.
Seventy-four percent of those responding to the here.)
Texans surveyed listed other priorities for lawmakers in the order of importance - strengthening the economy and creating jobs, reducing health care and prescription drug costs, keeping state and local taxes low, fighting crime and improving public safety, providing greater access to higher education opportunities and addressing state transportation issues.
The survey of both Democrat and Republican voters indicates that while both Democrats and Republicans saw improving education as their top issue, Republicans placed a higher priority on keeping taxes low than did Democrats. Conversely, Democrats surveyed had more interest in reducing health and prescription drug costs than did Republicans.
Sixty percent of those surveyed favor tort reform in Texas, while the survey results showed a "mixed" reaction to support for creating a Trans-Texas Corridor.