Two-thirds of likely California voters say global warming is a threat to the state's economic future and quality of life, and a wide majority -- 62 percent -- continues to favor the state's greenhouse gas reduction law, Assembly Bill 32, according to a new Public Policy Institute of California poll.
The electorate's attitude about the environment colors its view of President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, according to the poll. Nearly three-quarters of likely voters say the presidential candidates' positions on climate change and energy policy are very important or somewhat important to how they will vote.
Not surprisingly in heavily Democratic California, a majority of likely voters -- 54 percent -- trusts Obama more than Romney to handle these issues, while 33 percent of likely voters trust Romney more.
Likely voters favor Obama over Romney in their presidential matchup by 11 percentage points, 51 percent to 40 percent.
Fifty percent of likely voters approve of the way Obama is handling his job as president, according to the poll. Likely voters are evenly split on his handling of environmental issues.
Gov. Jerry Brown's public approval rating is slightly up from May. Forty-six percent of likely voters approves of the job he is doing, up from 42 percent. Likely voters approve of the Democratic governor's handling of environmental issues, 41 percent to 36 percent, according to the poll.
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