Our latest Santa Monica Pulse poll asked residents about a recent lawsuit filed against the LA County Health Department to halt the needle distribution program in Santa Monica’s outdoor spaces. The suit seeks to move the program into public indoor spaces with direct medical supervision. When asked if they supported the goal of the lawsuit, 70 percent said yes. Only six percent said no, while about five percent said they were not sure. 17 percent of respondents chose to write in a response — the vast majority of these write-ins said they supported an end to the program entirely, not just moving its location.

We also asked about Mayor Phil Brock’s recent decision to endorse a proposed statewide ballot measure that would impose stronger penalties for those engaged in the trafficking of hard drugs and for repeat offenders of drug possession and retail theft. The goal of the measure is to reform Prop 47, a measure that reduced the prison population by reclassifying certain crimes as misdemeanors. When asked if they would support stronger penalties for drug and theft crimes, 85 percent said yes. Only 10 percent said no, and about four percent said they weren’t sure.

The City Council approved Councilmembers Gleam Davis and Caroline Torisis to use their travel funds to attend a week-long housing program in Vienna, Austria. It would be the most expensive Councilmember trip paid for by taxpayer dollars. When asked if they supported this use of city funds, 75 percent said no. 15 percent said yes and about nine percent weren’t sure.