Most Texans Support Smoking Ban, Poll Says

The latest from Gov. Rick Perry's preferred polling firm, Baselice & Associates, shows that 70 percent of Texans support a ban on indoor smoking, including in restaurants and bars.

The sentiment appears to cut across party lines. The ban was supported by 67 percent of Republicans, 69 percent of independents and 74 percent of Democrats. Of those that identify with the Tea Party, 54 percent favored the idea. The poll also found that 63 percent of Texas voters are more likely to vote for a state legislator who supports such a law.

Last session, smoke-free legislation failed to get enough traction to get through the process. The push for a different outcome this time around has already begun. State Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, and state Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Denton, have both filed bills to ban smoking in public indoor spaces.

The measures have the support of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. "Now is the time to make smoke-free workplaces a reality," he said in a statement.

The poll, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, was released today by the Smoke-Free Texas Coalition, a group whose members include the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Livestrong and others. It was conducted Jan. 12-16 and has an overall margin of error of +/- 4.4 percentage points.