A new LSU research survey finds most Louisianans are concerned about the direction the state is going.
The 2022 Louisiana Survey polled 508 adult residents through traditional telephone-based surveys and 623 adult residents online from across the state to find out how Louisianans view their government and its policies. The survey ran from February to March.
The survey by the Public Policy Research Lab at LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication found that most state residents are worried about the state economy, infrastructure, and education.
Residents’ confidence in the state government to solve these problems also dropped to its lowest since 2004.
According to the data, 66% of participants, or about two-thirds, said the state is heading in the wrong direction and just 26% said the state is heading in the right direction in their opinion. That is the lowest over the nearly two decades according to survey researchers.
Only 21 percent of respondents said they expect their financial situation to be better a year from now. That is compared to just 7% who say they expect good business conditions a year from now.
Other key findings of the survey are listed below:
-Respondents mention the economy, infrastructure and education as the most important problems facing the state. The share mentioning COVID-19 dropped from 30 percent last year to 7 percent this year. In contrast, the share concerned about crime more than doubled from 10 percent to 24 percent.
-Just 25 percent of Louisiana residents say they are either “very confident” or “somewhat confident” in state government to address important problems effectively – the smallest share since the Louisiana Survey first included this question in 2004.
-Respondents were divided about evenly between those who approve how the state is handling the pandemic, 41 percent, and those who disapprove, 39 percent. This reflects a shift toward less approval compared to a year ago when 49 percent approved and 38 percent disapproved.
-Approximately two-thirds of respondents, or 65 percent, said they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. A much smaller share of respondents, or 36 percent, said they received a booster against COVID-19.
-Most oppose vaccine mandates for employees and students: 62 percent said employers should not be allowed to require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19; 58 percent oppose the state government requiring vaccination for public employees; 61 percent oppose requiring children who are age 12 and older to get the COVID-19 vaccine in order to attend school in person; and 67 percent oppose a similar rule for children who are between the ages of 5 and 11.
