NEW POLL: Voters in Deep South Oppose Guaranteed Immunity for Corporations and Businesses
SPLC Action Fund Polling of Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana reveals strong opposition to providing corporations and businesses with guaranteed immunity from COVID-19 related lawsuits
WASHINGTON — As Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell holds up COVID-19 relief for struggling families to protect corporations, today the SPLC Action Fund released new findings from a poll showing 3 in 5 voters in three Southern states — Florida, Georgia and Louisiana — strongly oppose giving large corporations guaranteed immunity for endangering the health and safety of workers.
The Republican majority in the Senate introduced their second COVID-19 relief bill earlier this week. In addition to proposals to protect businesses and corporations, their $1 trillion proposal slashes emergency unemployment benefits by two thirds and forces states to restructure the way they distribute them, adding significant costs for implementation. Over two months ago, the U.S. House of Representatives passed their own relief bill, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Solutions (HEROES) Act. Internal fighting and squabbles have kept the Republican-controlled Senate from acting while the pandemic continues to ravage the health, well-being, and economic security of people across the country.
“The Republican COVID-19 relief bill comes straight from the GOP playbook: business and profits before people,” said SPLC Action Fund President and Chief Executive Officer Margaret Huang. “Our poll demonstrates that voters want accountability and funds for continuing federal support for families, small businesses and essential workers. We are staring at a financial and health precipice due to Republicans’ disregard for their constituents. Enough is enough. It’s time to put the American public first.”
The poll, conducted July 3-8 by Tulchin Research on behalf of the SPLC Action Fund, also found strong support for holding businesses and corporations accountable to ensure they protect people, including workers and customers, from contracting COVID-19. This preference is shared by a strong majority of voters in Georgia with 61%, and Florida and Louisiana with 55% each. Only 33% of voters in each state prefers a pro-immunity argument.
Read the full survey findings here.
Survey Methodology: From July 3-8, 2020, Tulchin Research conducted an online survey among 1,500 registered voters in Florida (n600), Georgia (n500), and Louisiana (n400). The margin of error for the survey is +/- 2.53%, including, +/- 4% among respondents in Florida, +/- 4.38% among respondents in Georgia, and +/- 4.9% among respondents in Louisiana. ###
