Gov. Brownback’s approval rating falls; Kansas GOP disputes poll

? Buoyed by the findings of a new poll, Kansas Democrats on Tuesday said Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican, is out of touch with Kansans’ priorities.

Thirty-six percent of Kansans approve of Brownback’s job performance, according to the latest SurveyUSA poll. The poll, conducted Jan. 19-24, was sponsored by KWCH-TV in Wichita. It represents a 19-point drop in Brownback’s approval ratings in one year.

Democrats said Brownback’s legislative proposals on overhauling the tax code and school finance formula have led to his falling numbers.

“This administration’s solutions for education are to slice funding to historically low levels and shift the burden of paying for schools to the backs of local property taxpayers,” state Democratic Party Chairwoman Joan Wagnon said.

“This administration’s solutions for children are to eliminate tax laws like the Earned Income Tax Credit, which would throw an estimated 4,000 children into poverty, while wealthy corporations get the biggest windfall in state history.

“This administration’s solutions for jobs are to take away tax credits for home mortgages, while writing a law that kowtows to wealthy corporations,” Wagnon added.

But Republican Party Chairwoman Amanda Adkins said the poll failed “the common-sense test.”

The poll also showed 38 percent of Kansans approve of the job President Barack Obama is doing and 41 percent for U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas.

“How seriously can you believe a poll that shows President Obama, who received 41 percent of the Kansas vote, within three points of Senator Moran, who received 71 percent of the vote?” Adkins said. “That is nonsensical.”

Adkins said, “Our internal data shows a very different picture of Kansans’ support of the governor’s agenda to grow the economy and create jobs.” Adkins didn’t reveal details of what the party’s internal data showed.