Despite qualms, Senate panel advances measure stopping university pollsters from tracking candidates, campaigns

New language in a Senate higher education bill could remove the most interesting questions from public polls from educational institutions in Florida.

In a meeting of the Appropriations Committee on Higher Education, Republican Sen. Alexis Calatayud successfully introduced a delete-all amendment to her wide-ranging education bill (SB 1726) that is designed to severely restrict the topics on which university polling operations can conduct surveys.

“The Board of Governors shall adopt regulations prohibiting universities that conduct public opinion survey research from polling activities related to candidates for any federal, state, or local office,” the amendment reads.

Republican Sen. Jennifer Bradley sought clarification on the language, wondering if “issue” polling would be barred from using “candidate” names.

The sponsor was unclear about what the language she added on the bill meant.

“As written, I would interpret that to be their public opinion polling for that candidate for a specific office, but I can provide you that clarity and follow-up if it is more expansive than that particular purpose,” she promised.

Bradley wasn’t the only Republican questioning the polling provision.

RepublicanSen. Tom Leek said he “really (doesn’t) understand the polling part” and hoped for more “clarity” as the bill “moves through the process.”

Democratic Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith praised much of the bill, but said he was “not sure about the polling language.”

“Honestly a lot of the best polling that we see on a lot of different races for public office here in Florida comes from our higher education institutions. If they are not allowed to engage in this type of polling which is done in a non-biased and nonpartisan way by design, you want them to be accurate, I feel like we may have a lack of information on polling that’s needed,” Smith said.

In her closing comments, the sponsor addressed the polling issue. She vowed to “make sure to the best of our ability we are able to have further conversations on how we move forward with that element.”

The Calatayud proposal doesn’t completely shut down polling operations.

It says university pollsters may “conduct survey research to measure opinions and inform the public about social, political, and economic issues unrelated to candidate preference.”

Nonetheless, the potential restrictions could dramatically impact operations from the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab (UNF PORL) and Florida Atlantic University (FAU).

“It’s got my attention,” said UNF PORL’s Michael Binder of the “out of the blue” proposal that “wasn’t on people’s radar” but is poised to be attached to a bill “midway through the Session.”

Binder believes the timing of the amendment is no accident.

“If they stick it on that bill, that bill’s going to pass.”

Binder said “candidate stuff” is what drives response to polls “from media and consumers of media” and that “candidates matter.”

“Look at Donald Trump. He’s not just a basket of policies,” Binder said.

Another university pollster had less to say.

“We don’t comment on proposed legislation as it would be too speculative to do so before the process is complete,” said FAU’s Joshua Glanzer.

Polls from UNF and FAU drew a lot of national attention in recent cycles, paralleling Florida’s increased prominence in the political world. Surveys without candidates included likely wouldn’t have that kind of juice.