<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=36yFRp_0zl5at0S00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=36yFRp_0zl5at0S00" width="1360" height="1045" ><figcaption>Massachusetts voters already indicated their support for empowering the state auditor to probe the Democrat-controlled Legislature at the ballot box last fall, and now a new survey found they overwhelmingly want Attorney General Andrea Campbell, pictured, to get involved. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)</figcaption></figure>A new poll that asked respondents to weigh in on several hot-button issues undoubtedly will add to the unease of the state’s Democratic establishment facing rising resistance from residents weary of the politically taxing status quo.Massachusetts voters already indicated their support for empowering the state auditor to probe the Democrat-controlled Legislature at the ballot box last fall, and now this new survey found they overwhelmingly want Attorney General Andrea Campbell to get involved.Last November, more than 70% of voters supported a ballot measure to allow the state auditor to delve into the inner workings of that insular body.In this new poll conducted by Advantage Inc. for the Fiscal Alliance Foundation, nearly 81% of likely voters said they think Campbell should “enforce the voter approved law to audit the [L]egislature.” A bit fewer than 8% said they don’t think Campbell should enforce the law, and 11% were unsure.Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s attempts to pull back the curtain on Beacon Hill using the new powers granted by voters have been stonewalled for months by House and Senate Democrats over supposed concerns about constitutional separation of powers.DiZoglio has also gotten on Campbell’s case for not enforcing the law, though the AG counters that the auditor hasn’t provided a reason for her to intervene in the dispute.The auditor certainly hasn’t endeared herself to either Campbell or Gov. Maura Healey lately — primarily over her office’s ruling declaring the MBTA Communities Act an unfunded mandate — which has probably contributed to the AG’s hands-off approach to this standoff with lawmakers.The Fiscal Alliance Foundation in December joined a coalition of groups that threatened a lawsuit to force the Legislature’s compliance with the audit law, but have yet to take any legal action.The poll of 800 likely voters, conducted from March 6 to March 12 with a margin of error of 3.6 percentage points, took the voters’ pulse on other issues.As one might expect, taxes hit a nerve with many of the electorate.Voters overwhelmingly opposed Gov. Maura Healey’s proposals to add a local-option surcharge of up to 5% on motor-vehicle excise tax bills, and a section of Healey’s fiscal 2026 state budget that would impose a new assessment on pharmacies by 78% and 83% respectively.Language in the budget would require pharmacies to pay $2 per prescription dispensed, or 6% of the revenues they receive per applicable period, with the revenue used to help fund MassHealth, the state-run Medicaid system.Those surveyed not only opposed additional taxes, they also wanted to see some existing ones banished.A majority, 57%, support completely repealing the state’s estate tax, while that same percentage of respondents would also like to see the vehicle excise tax eliminated.Voters also supported rolling back the recently increased 9% top tax rate on income and capital gains, as introduced by the income surtax amendment, by a margin of 49%-33%.Paul Craney, executive director of the fiscally and politically conservative foundation, noted that enforcing the audit law and opposing the pharmacy assessment touched the third rail of public opinion, representing the only two questions generating more than 80% of respondents’ support.“These are very strong feelings by the voters. It’s nearly impossible to hit 80% in a poll and the governor and attorney general better pay attention,” Craney said.The poll’s response to other pocketbook issues sends a clear message to the clean-energy movement.With energy prices soaring to the point that forced the governor to intervene with some financial relief, voters offered their opinions on the construction of new natural gas pipelines into the state.Much to the administration’s chagrin, 47% of respondents support expanding natural gas pipelines, while 37% backed full commitment to renewables.Even a majority of independent voters polled — 53% — said they want more pipelines.But being Massachusetts, the poll showed predictable preferences when it comes to political leaders.The survey found the state’s voters still harbor a palpable dislike for Republican President Donald Trump, with about 65% viewing him somewhat or strongly unfavorably.Healey, a Democrat, unsurprisingly fared far better than Trump, with 56% of respondents viewing her somewhat or strongly favorably, compared to 36.6% who viewed her unfavorably.And although more than 54% of voters expressed a favorable opinion of U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, a majority — 55% — said they didn’t believe the 78-year-old Malden Democrat should seek reelection in 2026, as is his intent.If Healey challenged Markey in a hypothetical 2026 Senate primary, 34.5% of respondents said they were more likely to support the governor, 20.6% said they were more likely to back Markey’s reelection and nearly 45% said they are unsure.These are certainly challenging times for the state’s ruling party.With infighting among themselves fueled by the simmering auditor-Legislature feud — and a restive electorate fed up with increasingly unaffordable energy prices and infuriating targeted taxes — Democrats find themselves in an increasingly uncomfortable position.That’s not something they’re used to in this state.</div></body>

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A new poll that asked respondents to weigh in on several hot-button issues undoubtedly will add to the unease of the state’s Democratic establishment facing rising resistance from residents weary of the politically taxing status quo. Massachusetts voters already indicated their support for empowering the state auditor to probe...

Editorial: Voters vent their displeasure with state of the state

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A new poll that asked respondents to weigh in on several hot-button issues undoubtedly will add to the unease of the state’s Democratic establishment facin

Editorial: Voters vent their displeasure with state of the state

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