Latest news with #JasonHusser
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Elon University's Jason Husser on how NC is reacting to Trump's chaotic cuts to federal government
Jason Husser (Photo: As has been well-documented in recent weeks, the Trump administration is implementing a massive and chaotic bloodletting of the federal government. From the attempted elimination of the Department of Education to the evisceration of several other key departments — including the National Weather Service and the Department of Veterans Affairs — President Trump and Elon Musk have moved, without legislative authorization, to end or dramatically reduce funding for a host of programs and initiatives. So how is this playing with North Carolina voters? According to new survey data released by the Elon University Poll, not so well. As NC Newsline learned in a recent special extended conversation with the poll's director, Prof. Jason Husser, North Carolinians are skeptical of the cuts and deeply divided over the President's mass immigrant deportation initiatives and his overall job performance. Click here to listen to the full interview with poll director Jason Husser.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Newly released polls: Most in NC oppose repealing permit requirement for carrying concealed handguns
A 7-year-old boy picks up a handgun during the 2022 National Rifle Association annual convention in Houston. The number of firearm deaths among children and teens in the United States have jumped 50% since 2019. () A significant majority of North Carolina residents oppose laws that would allow people to carry concealed handguns without a permit, according to polls released in recent days by Elon University and the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety. Though it was conducted several months ago, the Everytown for Gun Safety survey, released Wednesday, found that a large majority of likely North Carolina voters (77%) were against removing permit requirements from concealed carry laws. Global Strategy Group conducted a survey of 800 likely voters in North Carolina between September 4 and September 9, 2024 for Everytown for Gun Safety. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 3.5%. The Elon University poll, released last Thursday, found that 54% of respondents opposed dropping the concealed carry permit while only 34% support such a change. The Elon poll was conducted March 3 through 11, 2025, with a sample of 800 North Carolina adults and a margin of error of +/- 4.04%. Poll director Prof. Jason Husser told NC Newsline he found it particularly noteworthy that a large percentage of Republicans had concerns about permitless carry and that less than half (48%) favor removing the requirement. While he noted that the survey did not explore the question in depth, Husser opined that 'many of the Republicans who have these permits feel like it was not that invasive or intrusive to have the process — they already went through it, and don't really see a need to change it.' The analyses come as state legislators are debating Senate Bill 50 and House Bill 5, two measures aiming to enact what supporters call 'constitutional carry' — the idea that individuals should be able to carry concealed weapons without permits due to their Second Amendment rights. Current North Carolina law requires individuals to obtain a permit from their local sheriff's office and undergo an eight-hour training course in order to carry a concealed firearm. In addition to the bulk of North Carolinians opposing permitless carry, the Everytown polling found that 66% of gun owners did as well. 85% of women are against permitless carry, as are 66% of men, the Everytown survey found. There was a similar trend when considering political party. 96% of Democrats, 77% of independents, and 60% of Republicans oppose permitless carry, according to the Everytown poll. In each category surveyed across partisan, gender, racial, and education groups, more people were against permitless carry than in support. 'The data couldn't be clearer — North Carolinians don't want to live in a state where untrained, potentially dangerous individuals can carry hidden guns in our communities. This isn't just a policy issue; it's a matter of public safety,' said Wendy Brooks, a volunteer with the North Carolina chapter of Moms Demand Action, Everytown Survivor Fellow, and gun owner. At the North Carolina state legislature, Senate Bill 50 passed the Senate on March 20 and is now in the House, while House Bill 5 awaits approval from another committee in the lower chamber. On Tuesday, the House Judiciary 2 Committee approved House Bill 193, a measure that would allow handguns in private schools. 'If North Carolina lawmakers truly want to represent their constituents, including gun owners and Republicans, they should reject this reckless attempt to dismantle the concealed carry permitting system and instead focus on real solutions that will keep communities safe,' said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New poll: North Carolinians don't support major cuts to federal agencies targeted by Trump, Musk
North Carolinians gathered in early March at the State Capitol to voice their disapproval of the Trump administration's dismantling of federal departments and the indiscriminate termination of government workers. (Photo: Clayton Henkel/NC Newsline) A new poll by Elon University finds that North Carolinians do not support the major cutbacks at 14 federal agencies targeted by the Trump administration and led by Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Rather respondents voiced support for only minor reductions or no changes at all. For the U.S. Department of Education, one third (33%) of those surveyed said they favored increased funding, compared with 25% who favor elimination or major reductions at the department. Asked about the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 35% of those polled said they would support more funding for the agency compared with only 10% who favor major reductions. The poll of 800 North Carolinians also found little support for major reductions or the elimination of NOAA (National Weather Service), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Defense Department, Department of Justice, Centers for Disease Control, Department of the Interior, National Institutes of Health and the FBI. 'Though polls have found for decades that the public is skeptical about the overall federal bureaucracy, we are not finding unified support for budget cuts when it comes to specific parts of the bureaucracy,' said Elon University poll director Jason Husser in a release. 'For functions like Veteran Affairs, we are finding a large majority of people in the key swing state of North Carolina wanting to see funding maintained or increased. Society is experiencing the disconnect between a desire to see less federal spending in the abstract and the reality that many of the agencies and departments are engaged in work that is broadly popular.' While Republicans generally viewed these cuts more favorably than Democrats, 44% of those questioned in the latest Elon University Poll believe the reduction in federal spending and federal employees and the elimination of research grants will have a very or somewhat negative impact in North Carolina. That compares with 34% who expect the loss of federal resources to have a positive impact. Proposed funding cuts by the Trump administration would in fact have a significant financial impact on North Carolina's universities and research centers. Society is experiencing the disconnect between a desire to see less federal spending in the abstract and the reality that many of the agencies and departments are engaged in work that is broadly popular.' – Elon University Poll director Jason Husser The poll also offers some insight into whether North Carolinians believe the motives claimed by Musk and the DOGE team for their actions. More than half (51%) expressed a general distrust that Musk is working in the best interests of the public in promoting government efficiency. Forty percent voiced support for Musk's DOGE team. On a separate question, one-half (50%) of North Carolinians said they supported Attorney General Jeff Jackson's decision to join attorneys general from 18 other states in filing a lawsuit to stop DOGE from accessing U.S. Treasury Department records that contain personal information on millions of Americans. In February, Jackson joined lawsuits against the federal government over the potential exposure of North Carolinians' personal information to Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. 'The court recognized this federal overreach for what it is – a violation of federal law and a threat to people's privacy and security,' said Jackson in winning a temporary restraining order. Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly have been working this session to further block Jackson from challenging President Donald Trump's executive orders. On Monday, a federal judge blocked Musk's team from accessing data at the Education Department, the Treasury Department and at the Office of Personnel Management. Read more from the latest Elon University poll.
