AUSTIN, Texas _ Most Texas voters believe business owners should not be allowed to refuse service to LGBT people, even if they have religious objections to homosexuality, according to a poll released Thursday.
The Quinnipiac University Poll also found widespread support for raising the legal age for tobacco products from 18 to 21, as well as majority support for Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that established a right to abortion, although opinions varied widely according to religious and political affiliations.
Asked to assess Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's job performance, 60% of the surveyed voters said they approved _ including 85% of Republicans, 56% of independents and 36% of Democrats. Abbott's current four-year term, his second, runs through 2022.
The poll results on refusing to serve LGBT people were significant in light of the recently completed session of the Texas Legislature, which included more than a dozen Republican-filed "religious refusal" bills that sought to protect people from government interference for following their faith _ particularly religious opposition to same-sex marriage.
Only one of those bills made it to Abbott, however _ Senate Bill 1978, which was rewritten to bar government action against people or businesses based on their support for religious organizations after Chick-fil-A was denied space at the San Antonio airport over corporate leaders' opposition to gay marriage, among other issues.
The poll asked two related questions:
_ Should businesses be allowed to refuse service to someone based on their sexual orientation or sexual identity?
By a strong majority, 71% of Texas voters said no; only 22% said yes.
Every distinct group was opposed, including Republicans (52%), Democrats (89%), women (77%), men (63%), white evangelicals (50%), Protestants (63%), Catholics (76%), college educated (67%) and those without a college degree (64%).
Respondents of every age range and race were opposed as well.
"Texans, by more than 3-1, back the liberal stance that prioritizes consumer rights. Every listed group feels that way," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac poll.
_ If homosexuality violates a business owner's religious beliefs, should they be allowed to refuse service to someone based on their sexual orientation or sexual identity?
With religion introduced into the equation, a majority still opposed the concept, but it fell to 58% _ with 35% saying it should be OK to refuse service.
Every distinct group opposed faith-based refusal to serve LGBT people except for those in four categories _ Republicans (57% in favor), white men (50%), white evangelicals (63%) and those who attend religious services weekly (45% in favor, with 44% opposed).
When asked about abortion, 57% of respondents favored Roe v. Wade, including 80% of Democrats, 67% of independents, 60% of women and 54% of men.
On the other hand, opposition was stronger among Republicans (57%), white evangelicals (61%) and those who attend religious services weekly (60%).
With Texas on the cusp of raising the legal age to buy, use or own tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21, the poll found 63% of Texas voters in favor of the change, with 31% opposed.
SB 21, which seeks to raise the legal age to 21, has been sent to Abbott, who can veto it, sign it into law or let it become law without his signature. He has until June 16 to decide.
The cellphone and landline poll of 1,159 Texas voters, conducted May 29 to June 4, had a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points, Quinnipiac said.
