For the second time this week, a national poll has revealed strong support for Florida’s Parental Rights in Education legislation.
A new Politico/Morning Consult poll found that roughly half of respondents agreed with the intent of the bill, compared to just more than one-third who do not.
The pollsters asked 2,005 registered voters, including 37 percent Democrats and 35 percent Republicans, a series of questions about the measure, which, according to its text, would ban classroom lessons by school personnel or “third parties” about sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through third grade.
When asked if they supported or opposed banning that in those grades, 50.6 percent said yes, while just 34.6 percent indicated no.
Questioned if they favored limiting lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity after third grade to “age-appropriate” discussions, 52 percent agreed, and just 33 percent disagreed.
The results got closer when those surveyed were asked if they backed allowing parents to sue school districts for violating the ban on such lessons, as 41 percent said yes, while 43 percent replied no.
The poll was taken over last weekend.
It followed another survey, also taken last weekend and released on Monday, by the conservative website The Daily Wire.
Unlike Politico/Morning Consult, which summarized key parts of the bill but repeatedly referred to it as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, The Daily Wire simply read the key language to respondents.
The Daily Wire found that 64 percent supported the bill, while 21 percent opposed it. Support was strong even among Democrats, 62 percent of whom indicated they agreed with the language.
Almost two-thirds of respondents said it was inappropriate for teachers to instruct K-3 kids in “various sexual orientations” or “gender identities.” About one in five had no issues with that.
The Daily Wire surveyed 1,000 people, 32 percent of whom were Republicans.
Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has said those who call the measure “Don’t Say Gay” are lying to the public because it does not ban the word “gay” from schools – which 45 percent of Democrats think – nor does it prevent a student in such circumstances from approaching a teacher and seeking counseling.
DeSantis is expected to sign the bill.
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