FIELD POLL: Schwarzenegger+Legislature hit new lows

from SacBee CapitolAlert

13 October -- Approval ratings of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature have hit new lows, according to the results of a Field Poll released today.

The governor's approval rating among voters dipped to 27 percent, according to a telephone survey of 1,005 registered voters conducted Sept. 18 to Oct. 5.

That marks Schwarzenegger's lowest approval ratings since he took office in 2003 (and puts him second only to Democratic Gov. Gray Davis when it comes to low job performance reviews for governors who served over the last 50 years).

Results were even more dour for the Legislature.

Just 13 percent of voters approve of the job lawmakers are doing. Job performance for both houses has been on a downward trajectory since it fell below 20 percent approval ratings for the first time last September.

The rate of voters who disapprove of the Legislature's performance -- 78 percent --is the highest recorded by The Field Poll in results dating back to 1983.

Well, they must be doing something right in the eyes of the electorate... right?

Voters surveyed by The Field Poll were keen on one thing: the governor calling the Legislature into special sessions for two front-burner issues: water and taxes.

The poll found that 73 percent of respondents favored a special session on water supply issues and 62 percent were behind bringing the Legislature back to face tax reform issues.

Here are the statistical tabulations for the Field Poll, prepared exclusively for Capitol Alert, on California voters' opinions of the governor and the State Legislature. The publicly released results of today's poll can be found here.