Rick Scott and the Legislature Flounder in New Q Poll

A poll released on Wednesday morning by Quinnipiac University found Floridians are souring on Gov. Rick Scott and have a low opinion of the Legislature and the 2011 budget that the governor is expected to sign on Thursday.

A clear majority of those surveyed -- 57 percent -- disapproved of Scotts performance in office, the lowest rating of any governor examined by Quinnipiac, while only 29 percent expressed approval of the governor. In the last Quinnipiac poll released in early April, Scott won the approval of 35 percent and the disapproval of 48 percent.

Democrats overwhelmingly disapproved of Scott, with only 13 percent backing him while 72 percent disapproved. Even among Republicans, Scott is starting to lose ground with 51 percent approving of him and 37 percent disapproving. Only 28 percent of independents in the poll approved Scotts performance while 57 percent disapproved.

The poll found that Florida voters disapproved of the state Legislature by a similar margin. The Legislature garnered 27 percent approval and 56 percent disapproval, down from 35 percent approval and 47 percent disapproval back in April.

"Voters have turned even more negative on Governor Rick Scott since the last Quinnipiac University survey," said Peter Brown, the assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "It probably doesn't make him feel any better that the state Legislature is sharing the basement suite in the eyes of the electorate. The good news for the governor is that he has three and a half years to turn public opinion around.

The poll of 1,196 registered voters was taken between May 17-23 and had a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percent.