Maurice Carroll, Director, Quinnipiac University Polling Institute (203) 582-5334 Rubenstein Associates, Inc.

Public Relations Contact: Pat Smith (212) 843-2013 FOR RELEASE: JANUARY 30,

GUN BILL KNOCKS GOP SUPPORT FOR NEW YORKS CUOMO, QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL FINDS; MOST REPUBLICANS SAY GUN BILL WENT TOO FAR
Republican disapproval of New Yorks tough new gun-control law could be taking a toll on Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose all-time high 74 13 percent job approval rating last month drops to a still-solid 59 28 percent in a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Voters in non-gun homes approve of the governor 68 19 percent. Voters in households with a gun disapprove 50 40 percent. Republican approval of the governor, 68 18 percent in a survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University on December 12, just two days before the Newtown massacre, is a split 44 43 percent today. Democratic support, 82 9 percent in December, is 74 14 percent today. Approval by independent voters drops from 70 12 percent to 54 32 percent. Women approve of Gov. Cuomo 64 23 percent, down from 73 12 percent. Men approve 54 33 percent, down from 74 14 percent. The gun-control package signed by Gov. Cuomo this month goes too far in restricting gun owners rights, 34 percent of all voters, including 59 percent of Republicans, say. The guncontrol measure does not go far enough in protecting public safety, 30 percent of all voters, including 17 percent of Republicans, say. The measure is about right, 30 percent of all voters, including 20 percent of Republicans, say. With approval ratings that consistently topped 70 percent, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had the political capital to spend when he set out to pass the toughest gun control laws in the nation, said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. It is possible that the gun law cost him some of that political capital, but a 2-1 job approval rating still makes him the envy of most governors. -more-

Quinnipiac University Poll/January 30, 2013 page 2 Is Gov. Cuomos honeymoon with Republicans over, or is this just a spat that can be patched up in the months ahead? Carroll asked. Cuomo lost some Republican support after the 2011 same-sex marriage bill, but he got it back. By a 4-1 margin, New York State voters support the new requirement that mental health professionals report patients whom they believe are a threat to themselves or others so police can confiscate any weapons the patient owns:

76 percent support the measure; 19 percent are opposed. Support is higher among Democrats, 83 12 percent, than among Republicans, 71 24

percent. Independent voter support the mental health measure 71 23 percent. Support among voters in gun households is 72 23 percent. Voters reject 56 32 percent the argument that fewer mentally ill people will seek help because of this measure. Perhaps the most controversial measure in New York States new package of gun laws, the mental health provision wins strong support and seems to put Democrats and Republicans in an interesting role reversal on law and order vs. civil rights, Carroll said. Stricter gun laws will do more to reduce gun violence in schools than armed guards, New York State voters say 48 40 percent. By a 46 22 percent margin, voters have an unfavorable opinion of the leadership of the National Rifle Assn. Job approval ratings are down slightly for other leaders:

Voters approve 57 39 percent of the job President Barack Obama is doing, down from 62 35 percent December 12; Sen. Charles Schumer gets a 60 30 percent job score, down from 63 23 percent; Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has a 57 21 percent score, down from 61 18 percent, her highest ever. From January 23 28, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,127 New York State voters with

a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones. The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia and the nation as a public service and for research. For more information or RSS feed, visit http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, or call (203) 582-5201, or follow us on Twitter.

1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Andrew Cuomo is handling his job as Governor? Tot Approve Disapprove DK/NA 59% 28 13 Rep 44% 43 13 Dem 74% 14 12 Ind 54% 32 14 Men 54% 33 12 Wom 64% 23 13 Wht 59% 29 12 Blk 63% 19 18

COLLEGE DEG Yes No Approve Disapprove DK/NA 70% 21 9 53% 32 15

ANNUAL HSHOLD INC <50K 50-100 >100K 56% 28 17 60% 29 11 65% 27 7

AGE IN YRS....... 18-34 35-54 55+ 54% 30 17 59% 30 10 63% 24 13 HvKds PbSch 56% 31 13

AREA............. UpStat NYC Sub Approve Disapprove DK/NA 51% 37 12 66% 21 13 64% 23 14

DENSITY............ Urban Suburb Rural 65% 20 15 62% 27 11 45% 44 10

GUN HSHOLD Yes No 40% 50 10 68% 19 13

TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Andrew Cuomo is handling his job as Governor? APPROVE....... High Low Dec 12 Feb 23 2012 2011 74 13 13 56 15 29

Jan 30 2013 Approve Disapprove DK/NA 59 28 13

Dec 12 2012 74 13 13

Sep 12 2012 70 16 14

Jul 25 2012 73 16 12

May 30 2012 71 16 13

2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Charles Schumer is handling his job as United States Senator? Tot Approve Disapprove DK/NA 60% 30 10 Rep 39% 53 8 Dem 79% 12 9 Ind 53% 35 12 Men 53% 37 10 Wom 66% 24 10 Wht 58% 33 9 Blk 71% 12 16

COLLEGE DEG Yes No Approve Disapprove DK/NA 69% 25 6 54% 33 12

ANNUAL HSHOLD INC <50K 50-100 >100K 53% 32 15 65% 29 6 67% 27 6

AGE IN YRS....... 18-34 35-54 55+ 60% 26 14 58% 31 11 63% 29 8 HvKds PbSch 59% 30 11

AREA............. UpStat NYC Sub Approve Disapprove DK/NA 53% 35 12 65% 26 9 63% 28 9

DENSITY............ Urban Suburb Rural 65% 25 11 60% 32 9 52% 38 10

GUN HSHOLD Yes No 46% 45 9 66% 24 10

TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Charles Schumer is handling his job as United States Senator? (*High also 69% Oct 2001) APPROVE....... High Low Dec 08 Apr 15 2004* 1999 69 16 15 51 22 28

Jan 30 2013 Approve Disapprove DK/NA 60 30 10

Dec 12 2012 63 23 15

Sep 12 2012 62 25 13

Jul 25 2012 61 25 14

May 30 2012 64 26 10

3. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Kirsten Gillibrand is handling her job as United States Senator? Tot Approve Disapprove DK/NA 57% 21 22 Rep 41% 38 21 Dem 73% 6 22 Ind 52% 27 21 Men 53% 26 20 Wom 61% 16 23 Wht 56% 25 19 Blk 72% 5 23

COLLEGE DEG Yes No Approve Disapprove DK/NA 63% 21 16 54% 21 25

ANNUAL HSHOLD INC <50K 50-100 >100K 55% 16 29 59% 23 19 63% 25 12

AGE IN YRS....... 18-34 35-54 55+ 53% 17 30 60% 24 15 59% 20 21 HvKds PbSch 52% 23 25

AREA............. UpStat NYC Sub Approve Disapprove DK/NA 50% 27 23 63% 15 22 61% 21 18

DENSITY............ Urban Suburb Rural 63% 15 22 56% 24 20 49% 29 23

GUN HSHOLD Yes No 50% 28 23 62% 17 21

TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Kirsten Gillibrand is handling her job as United States Senator? APPROVE....... High Low Dec 12 Feb 17 2012 2009 61 18 21 28 10 62

Jan 30 2013 Approve Disapprove DK/NA 57 21 22

Dec 12 2012 61 18 21

Jul 25 2012 54 20 26

May 30 2012 60 22 18

Apr 05 2012 60 21 19

4. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as President? Tot Approve Disapprove DK/NA 57% 39 4 Rep 17% 82 1 Dem 90% 8 2 Ind 43% 48 9 Men 49% 47 4 Wom 64% 32 4 Wht 48% 48 3 Blk 89% 6 6

COLLEGE DEG Yes No Approve Disapprove DK/NA 66% 33 2 52% 43 5

ANNUAL HSHOLD INC <50K 50-100 >100K 57% 38 6 59% 38 4 56% 43 2

AGE IN YRS....... 18-34 35-54 55+ 60% 34 6 58% 40 2 56% 40 4 HvKds PbSch 58% 40 2

AREA............. UpStat NYC Sub Approve Disapprove DK/NA 46% 50 4 71% 25 4 53% 42 4

DENSITY............ Urban Suburb Rural 71% 23 6 53% 44 3 39% 60 1

GUN HSHOLD Yes No 33% 64 3 67% 29 4

TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as President? APPROVE....... High Low Feb 19 Aug 12 2009 2011 72 17 10 45 49 6

Jan 30 2013 Approve Disapprove DK/NA 57 39 4

Dec 12 2012 62 35 3

Jul 25 2012 57 38 5

May 31 2012 58 39 3

Apr 05 2012 56 38 6

5. Do you approve or disapprove of the way the state legislature is handling its job? Tot Approve Disapprove DK/NA 32% 50 18 Rep 24% 64 12 Dem 41% 37 22 Ind 28% 56 16 Men 31% 55 14 Wom 33% 46 21 Wht 29% 55 16 Blk 44% 33 23

COLLEGE DEG Yes No Approve Disapprove DK/NA 37% 49 14 30% 51 20

ANNUAL HSHOLD INC <50K 50-100 >100K 34% 44 22 31% 52 16 33% 57 10

AGE IN YRS....... 18-34 35-54 55+ 41% 36 23 29% 58 13 32% 49 19 HvKds PbSch 27% 61 12

AREA............. UpStat NYC Sub Approve Disapprove DK/NA 27% 60 13 37% 43 21 35% 43 21

DENSITY............ Urban Suburb Rural 36% 43 21 33% 51 16 25% 64 11

GUN HSHOLD Yes No 23% 65 12 37% 43 20

TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way the state legislature is handling its job? APPROVE....... High Low Dec 12 Sep 01 2012 2010 35 46 18 15 75 9

Jan 30 2013 Approve Disapprove DK/NA 11. and the the 32 50 18

Dec 12 2012 35 46 18

Sep 12 2012 34 50 15

Jul 26 2012 31 51 18

Feb 15 2012 29 58 13

Based on what you've heard or read about the changes to gun laws that Governor Cuomo lawmakers agreed on, do you think these changes go too far in terms of restricting rights of gun owners, or not far enough in terms of protecting public safety, or are changes about right? Tot Rep 59% 17 20 5 Dem 12% 41 40 7 Ind 44% 24 26 6 Men 44% 25 26 5 Wom 24% 34 34 7 Wht 40% 26 29 5 Blk 16% 44 39 2

Too far Not far enough About right DK/NA

34% 30 30 6

COLLEGE DEG Yes No Too far Not far enough About right DK/NA 21% 35 40 4 42% 27 25 7

ANNUAL HSHOLD INC <50K 50-100 >100K 37% 29 26 8 37% 25 34 4 26% 36 34 4

AGE IN YRS....... 18-34 35-54 55+ 38% 24 29 9 35% 33 27 5 30% 31 34 5 HvKds PbSch 35% 31 27 7

AREA............. UpStat NYC Sub Too far Not far enough About right DK/NA 51% 17 27 5 19% 43 31 7 28% 32 35 5

DENSITY............ Urban Suburb Rural 19% 39 34 8 35% 29 32 4 58% 17 21 4

GUN HSHOLD Yes No 61% 12 23 4 23% 37 34 6

12. As you may know, one of the state's new gun laws requires mental-health professionals to report patients who they believe to be a threat to themselves or to others. Law enforcement could then confiscate any firearm owned by the patient. Supporters say this law is necessary to protect public safety. Opponents say this law violates the civil rights of the mentally ill. Do you support or oppose this new law? Tot Support Oppose DK/NA 76% 19 6 Rep 71% 24 6 Dem 83% 12 5 Ind 71% 23 6 Men 70% 24 6 Wom 81% 14 5 Wht 77% 17 6 Blk 84% 16 -

COLLEGE DEG Yes No Support Oppose DK/NA 79% 16 5 74% 20 6

ANNUAL HSHOLD INC <50K 50-100 >100K 71% 21 8 81% 17 2 83% 13 4

AGE IN YRS....... 18-34 35-54 55+ 71% 21 8 79% 18 4 76% 18 5 HvKds PbSch 79% 15 6

AREA............. UpStat NYC Sub Support Oppose DK/NA 74% 21 5 75% 19 6 80% 15 5

DENSITY............ Urban Suburb Rural 75% 19 7 80% 15 5 68% 27 6

GUN HSHOLD Yes No 72% 23 5 79% 15 5

13. Do you think because of this measure fewer mentally ill people will seek help? Tot Yes, fewer will seek help No DK/NA 32% 56 11 Rep 34% 56 10 Dem 31% 58 11 Ind 33% 57 10 Men 35% 56 9 Wom 30% 57 14 Wht 30% 59 11 Blk 34% 56 10

COLLEGE DEG Yes No Yes, fewer will seek help No DK/NA 24% 68 8 38% 50 13

ANNUAL HSHOLD INC <50K 50-100 >100K 35% 54 11 32% 57 11 27% 65 7

AGE IN YRS....... 18-34 35-54 55+ 39% 51 10 33% 60 7 29% 56 15 HvKds PbSch 34% 60 6

AREA............. UpStat NYC Sub Yes, fewer will seek help No DK/NA 36% 52 12 29% 60 11 31% 59 9

DENSITY............ Urban Suburb Rural 30% 61 10 31% 57 12 41% 47 12

GUN HSHOLD Yes No 41% 51 8 30% 59 12

14. Which of these do you think would do more to reduce gun violence in schools, having stricter gun laws or armed guards in schools? Tot Stricter gun laws Armed guards DK/NA 48% 40 12 Rep 24% 61 14 Dem 72% 20 8 Ind 36% 49 15 Men 39% 48 13 Wom 57% 33 10 Wht 43% 44 12 Blk 65% 29 6

COLLEGE DEG Yes No Stricter gun laws Armed guards DK/NA 61% 29 10 41% 47 12

ANNUAL HSHOLD INC <50K 50-100 >100K 44% 43 13 46% 42 12 59% 35 7

AGE IN YRS....... 18-34 35-54 55+ 40% 50 10 49% 40 11 52% 35 12 HvKds PbSch 42% 47 11

AREA............. UpStat NYC Sub Stricter gun laws Armed guards DK/NA 34% 51 15 62% 28 9 50% 39 10

DENSITY............ Urban Suburb Rural 59% 30 11 49% 41 10 27% 60 13

GUN HSHOLD Yes No 24% 60 15 58% 31 10

15. Is your opinion of the leadership of the National Rifle Association favorable, unfavorable, or haven't you heard enough about it? Tot Favorable Unfavorable Hvn't hrd enough REFUSED 22% 46 30 2 Rep 42% 23 33 2 Dem 5% 61 32 1 Ind 27% 44 27 2 Men 30% 43 25 2 Wom 14% 49 35 2 Wht 26% 49 24 2 Blk 8% 43 48 1

COLLEGE DEG Yes No Favorable Unfavorable Hvn't hrd enough REFUSED 17% 67 16 1 25% 34 39 2

ANNUAL HSHOLD INC <50K 50-100 >100K 23% 35 40 2 22% 49 28 1 22% 58 20 -

AGE IN YRS....... 18-34 35-54 55+ 18% 33 48 24% 47 27 2 22% 51 25 2 HvKds PbSch 24% 35 39 1

AREA............. UpStat NYC Sub Favorable Unfavorable Hvn't hrd enough REFUSED 29% 37 31 3 14% 51 34 1 22% 54 23 1

DENSITY............ Urban Suburb Rural 15% 50 33 2 24% 52 24 1 33% 27 37 3

GUN HSHOLD Yes No 45% 26 27 2 12% 54 32 1