Maybe someone can refresh my history, but it used to seem like some labor unions were even opposed to legal immigration, let alone illegal immigration. Nonetheless, the Montana AFL-CIO is touting a new poll backing the illegal immigration bill in the US Senate. The poll was conducted by PPP, a Democratic-leaning polling firm.
See the full press release from the Montana AFL-CIO below, as well as a prior post from me one week ago that featured an anti-immigration group touting a poll with the opposite results.
FULL PRESS RELEASE FROM MONTANA AFL-CIO
Montana Voters Overwhelmingly Back Bipartisan Senate Immigration Bill
New State Poll Shows Public Backs Elected Officials Who Vote for Senate Gang of Eight Bill
HELENA, MT – As the Senate takes up debate this week on the bipartisan immigration reform bill, Public Policy Polling released the results of a new state poll showing overwhelming voter support for the legislation. The poll was sponsored by the Alliance for Citizenship, Partnership for a New American Economy and Republicans for Immigration Reform, three organizations who represent the broad support for immigration reform from across the political spectrum.
“The polling is evidence that the people of Montana want a common sense solution now that creates a roadmap to citizenship for new Americans, many of whom live and work in Montana.” said Al Ekblad, Executive Secretary of the Montana State AFL-CIO. “Comprehensive immigration reform is good policy. The Senate bill keeps families together, ensures labor protections for workers, secures our borders, includes a roadmap to citizenship and enjoys bipartisan support for the Senate bill.”
According to the poll, voters in Montana support the Gang of Eight bill by large margins. Moreover, the results show that there is a genuine imperative for Senators Baucus and Tester to support the bill as constituents said they are more likely to vote for an elected official who votes for reform.
“Montanan’s appreciate and reward bi-partisan solutions. Is it a perfect bill? No, but this bipartisan approach is an improvement over our outdated and unjust immigration system,” said Jorge Quintana, Montana’s Democratic National Committeman and the son of Cuban immigrants. “The poll results also show that Montanans understand that this is not “amnesty” but a difficult yet fair path to citizenship.”
Highlights of the findings include:
76% of those polled said they strongly, or somewhat, support bipartisan immigration reform legislation being debated in Washington;
77% of those polled said they strongly, or somewhat, support a bill that includes a tough but fair path to citizenship;
61% of those polled are more likely to vote for an elected official who supports comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship.
86% of those polled said it was very, or somewhat, important that the U.S. fix the immigration system this year.
Of those polled, 38% identified as Republicans, 29% as Democrats, and 34% as Independents.
Full results of the poll can be found here https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/44794321/State%20polling/MontanaResults.pdfThe Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone surveys of likely voters were conducted between June 2-10, 2013. The poll has a minimum sample size of 500 respondents and a margin of error of less than 5%.
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According to The New York Daily News, Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) may buck his fellow Democrats when it comes to an illegal immigration bill in the US Senate.
The votes Durbin and Reid think they may lose, according to senators and aides, are Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.). Sen. Mary Landrieu, (D.-La.), who is up for reelection next year, is not committed. But she is considered a more likely backer, aides said.
All three opposed an immigration reform bill in 2007.
Baucus has signaled he is open to backing the bill if amendments strengthen border security measures.
Meanwhile, immigration bill opponents are touting a new poll they say shows Montanans’ opposition to the illegal immigration bill
Here’s a news release posted at The Sacramento Bee website:
A statewide poll of likely Montana voters finds strong opposition to a bill before the U.S. Senate that would grant amnesty to 12 million illegal aliens and dramatically increase overall immigration to the United States. According to the poll, 57 percent of Montana voters oppose S.744, the Gang of Eight immigration bill – including 43 percent who said they are “strongly opposed.” Only 31 percent of voters indicated that they support the bill and only 9 percent said they “strongly support” it.
The poll of 500 likely voters was conducted on June 3 by the national polling firm Pulse Opinion Research on behalf of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). The poll has a margin of error of +/-4.5 percent.
Read more here:
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/06/07/5479166/poll-reveals-montanans-strongly.html#storylink=cpy