Episode 210: Stop, Drop, and Poll

4/21/22-- Today, The Horse Race is breaking down two state-focused polls out this week. The first is a poll conducted by the UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion, which asked likely Democratic primary voters about their choices in the 2022 races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and state auditor. The poll shows gubernatorial candidate Maura Healey with a strong lead over opponent Sonia Chang-Diaz, which grew since The MassINC Polling Group's poll on the candidates from January. A second poll released this week was conducted by The MassINC Polling Group and its research director/guest co-host for this week's episode, Rich Parr. The MPG/Boston Globe poll surveyed Massachusetts residents about their opinions on climate change. This poll is one of a series of statewide climate surveys, and it found that residents consider climate change to be less of a concern than in 2019, when the last wave was conducted. However, that's not to say residents don't feel climate change is a serious threat. Majorities say that climate impacts, including heat waves (58%), coastal flooding (60%), and more powerful storms (62%), are already or very likely to hit the state in the next 5 years. The poll included additional responses from Black, Latino, and Asian residents, to enable a closer look at opinion between and within each group. Consistent with national polling, Black and Latino residents are more likely to say climate change is a “very serious” problem for the state. This poll also echoes national polling in showing a large partisan gap in concern about climate, with 62% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents calling it a very serious problem, compared to just 22% of Republicans and Republican leaners. Click here to read more about the poll: https://www.massincpolling.com/the-topline/poll-massachusetts-residents-see-climate-change-as-a-serious-problem-for-state -- A statement from a spokesperson for the state Cannabis Control Commission in regard to a prior episode of The Horse Race: "On March 14, the Boston Globe reported that Creative Services, Inc. (CSI) was exposed to a data breach that compromised the information of 164,000 individuals, including 1,982 individuals who are associated with Massachusetts cannabis licenses or license applications, as well as 75 Cannabis Control Commission (Commission) staff. In an interview during the March 31 episode of The Horse Race, the guest falsely stated that the Commission had been exposed to a data breach. The Commission does require all individuals listed on an initial license application to have a background check performed, via the Commission, with CSI. However, it is important to clarify that the Commission does not require, nor recommend, any particular company to perform background checks on the employees and/or agents they hire. Please note: as of the Commission’s April public meeting, there were 19,358 active agent registrations in Massachusetts’ adult-use cannabis industry, and 9,117 active agent registrations in the medical use industry. The guest being interviewed also suggested that, because of this event, the Commission should be audited. Regarding any comments as to whether the Commission has been audited, there is currently an audit by Auditor Bump’s office underway and has been for some time."