In the months following his short bid for the presidency, Gov. Scott Walker’s statewide approval rating has dropped as Wisconsinites’ support for issues such as amnesty for undocumented immigrants increases.
The most recent Marquette Law School poll, released Jan. 28, found trends in Wisconsin residents’ stances on key issues including immigration, Walker’s job performance and gun control. Experts weighed in on the events that may have shaped these public attitudes.
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Immigration
A majority of those polled said they supported granting amnesty to undocumented immigrants.
Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they supported allowing undocumented immigrants to stay in the U.S. and apply for citizenship, an increase from 2012-15 support, which averaged at 53 percent. Twenty-one percent of respondents said they wanted immigrants to leave the country, and 17 percent supported a temporary guest worker alternative.
Karma Chavez, University of Wisconsin communication arts professor, said the support for illegal immigrants is likely from a large number of people listening to the immigration rights movement.
“I think really it speaks to five years, but really 10 years, of success of an immigration rights movement that has really made a case for why people should be integrated into the community,” Chavez said. “In one way it is surprising, but in another way it actually reflects the hard work of a lot of people.”
But Michael Wagner, UW political science professor, said while not in the majority, those who oppose a path to citizenship for undocumented workers still make up a significant portion of voters. Wagner said this is clear because of the continued support for Donald Trump, who has consistently opposed relaxed immigration policies and stayed around 30 percent in opinion polls. Since August, Trump has been the leader across Republican primary opinion polls, with support ranging from 25 to 37 percent, according to HuffPost Pollster.
Recent opposition on the local level formed against a bill that would make it illegal for cities to declare themselves “Sanctuary Cities,” or cities that tell police officers they don’t have to call immigration if someone is here without permission, Chavez said. She said lawmakers have not yet been able to get pro-immigration off the ground here in Wisconsin.
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Walker approval rating
Respondents largely said they disapproved of Walker’s work as governor and would not want him to run again.
According to the poll, 57 percent of people disapproved of Walker’s handling of his job, while 38 percent approved. Sixty-one percent said they didn’t want him to run again, while 36 percent said they would like to see him seek another term.
Wagner said he believes one of the primary reasons for the low levels of support for Walker is the $250 million cut he made to the UW System.
Walker’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why these numbers are low.
“I think the cuts to the UW System have been enormously unpopular,” Wagner said. “People around the state don’t like that the state has cut support for the system. They don’t like that faculty are leaving in higher numbers than is typical.”
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Walker recently proposed a package of bills that aims to alleviate student loan debt.
In a meeting with UW College Republicans Feb. 9, Walker said he wants to support higher education by making college more affordable.
“We want to make it affordable to get a great college education,” Walker said at the meeting.
Another possible explanation for the low approval rating is that people may be frustrated with Walker’s run for presidency, Wagner said. People who were moderate supporters of Walker in the past were displeased with his attempt to join the national stage, he added.
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Gun control issues
Of those polled, a majority said they supported the current concealed-carry law, but were against allowing guns in schools and guns to be sold without background checks.
For current gun control laws, 63 percent of Wisconsin residents polled said they were in favor of the current concealed-carry law, while 31 percent were opposed. This was a significant change from 2012, in which 46 percent supported and 47 percent opposed.
Jeff Nass, Wisconsin Firearm Owners, Ranges, Clubs and Educators executive director, said Wisconsin has one of the best concealed-carry laws.
“We’ve got a very good system in Wisconsin,” Nass said. “The National Rifle Association and the State Association did a real good job passing a good conceal-carry legislation. It’s working really well … there is no issue with it”
Despite strong support for current concealed-carry, 65 percent of respondents were against allowing guns on K-12 schools grounds and 85 percent supported background checks for private and gun show sales.
Wagner said this nuanced perspective shows that Wisconsinites are thoughtful citizens.
But Nass said he disagrees with the majority of constituents because he still believes background checks should not be required and that guns should be allowed on school grounds, as long as there are gun safety programs.
Of the 806 registered Wisconsin voters interviewed for the poll from Jan. 21 to Jan. 24, 313 were Republican and 312 were Democrat.
