South Bend Tribune

Before the General Assembly convenes in 2015, here’s a bit of required reading for lawmakers.

The 2014 WISH-TV/Ball State University Hoosier Survey, conducted by Princeton Survey Research International, asks Indiana residents about their top priorities for state government action during the upcoming legislative session. Results of the seventh annual survey (available at bowencenter

forpublicaffairs.org) are delivered to every member of the Indiana General Assembly and top administration officials at the beginning of the calendar year so that lawmakers can gauge public views about issues they are likely to face in the upcoming legislative session.

Among the findings: Job creation is the No. 1 priority, with 78 percent of respondents saying it belongs at the top of the legislative agenda; reducing crime is in second place (69 percent); and improving local schools is in third place (67 percent). Environmental protection and immigration reform finish out the Top 5 issues.

The survey also found widespread support for pre-kindergarten initiatives — beyond the pilot program the General Assembly approved during its last session. While 39 percent support holding on

to the state’s budget surplus for a rainy day,

31 percent say some of the surplus should be used to fund programs — including education, highways and roads and fire and police — that have been cut in recent years.

The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research International during the period from

Oct. 7 to 15. Results are based on 600 completed interviews with 360 landline respondents and 240 cellphone respondents (including 120 adults with no landline phone). The margin of error is plus or minus 5.1 percentage points.

While the results are clearly intended to help inform lawmakers, all Hoosiers would do well to check out the survey. And let their representatives know what they expect out of the upcoming session.