Good morning. Here's your first Capitol View for this short work week. Let's start with a round up of the Minnesota Poll from MPR News, the Star Tribune and KARE 11 that came out over the weekend.
Gov. Tim Walz has strong support from his constituents amid the pandemic. The poll of 800 registered voters contacted from May 18-20 found the DFLer has a 65 percent approval rating while 30 percent disapprove and 5 percent are undecided. Reports Tim Pugmire: "The governor’s numbers were positive in all regions of Minnesota . His strongest approval came in Hennepin and Ramsey counties, followed by the metro suburbs. Walz did better among women than men statewide. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points."
Most Minnesotans support voting by mail. Nearly 60 percent support a state law change that would allow every registered voter to get a ballot via mail for the November election, with 37 percent opposed and 4 percent undecided. Some background, again via Pugmire: "During the recently completed legislative session, DFL lawmakers made an unsuccessful push for voting by mail. Republicans strongly opposed the move. President Trump is also a vocal opponent. The partisan divide was reflected in the poll results with 97 percent of Democrats in favor of voting by mail and 74 percent of Republicans opposed." Joe Biden has a slight edge over President Trump among Minnesotans. Trump has a clear edge in rural areas. But when it comes to the entire population, Biden has 49 percent support and Trump has 44, leaving 7 percent undecided. Brian Bakst writes: "The election is a solid five months away. Plenty can and will change. But there’s a strong sense that how Trump navigated the pandemic and the ensuing economic fallout will be a defining issue."
While there is some division, most Minnesotans support the stay-home restrictions. About 57 percent of respondents said the state's response to COVID-19 has been "about right" and 9 percent wish leaders would've gone further. About 32 percent said the state has "gone too far." Nearly 60 percent of people say the restrictions have been worth the social and economic cost, but 32 percent thought the opposite. | 
