Roanoke College Poll Surveys Virginians on General Assembly Issues

SALEM, Va., Jan. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Virginians strongly support ethics reforms for legislators and the reporting of sexual assault cases by colleges and universities but remain divided on Medicaid expansion, according to The Roanoke College Poll.

The results come a week after the Virginia General Assembly convened its 2015 session and two weeks after the Jan. 6 sentencing of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell for public corruption. State lawmakers have filed more than a dozen bills that deal with ethical issues.

There remains a consensus among Virginians that gifts to elected officials and their families should be regulated more strictly, with a majority of likely Virginia voters who were polled agreeing that gifts to elected officials should be limited to $250 in value. A majority also think legislators should be barred from accepting positions as judges or state officials for two years after leaving office.

The poll asked questions related to current events, including sexual assault on college and university campuses, an issue brought to light after Rolling Stone magazine published an article about an alleged gang rape at a University of Virginia fraternity. Poll results show that residents of the Commonwealth strongly favor requiring higher education institutions to report all sexual assault cases.

Medicaid expansion remains a divisive issue, with 39 percent saying the program should be expanded in the state only when it is reformed to be more efficient. Thirty-three percent say the program should be expanded now; 22 percent say it should not be expanded at all.

See the full poll results here. http://bit.ly/1C2IleC

SOURCE Roanoke College