State Senator Mike Johnston, the better looking version of failed Prop 103 tax hike leader Rollie Heath, is pushing a $1.1 BILLION dollar tax increase for the ballot this year. A new survey by Magellan Strategies indicates Mikey would be better off staying at home than wasting his time pushing a tax hike when Colorado voters have no intention of supporting it.

Magellan polled 675 respondents from April 24-25 and found an overwhelming opposition to income tax hikes, with 55% of respondents opposed to the idea of raising the state income tax from 4.63% to 5.35% to only 36% supportive of the idea.

When asking about a graduated income tax hike, with those making less than $75,000 seeing their taxes go up 1%, while those making over $75,000 would see a 3% hike, the opposition increased slightly with 56% opposed and 35% in support.

Those results are close to the last tax hike attempt in Colorado, Prop 103 in 2011. That ballot initiative lost 2-1 across the state — a crushing defeat for Rollie Heath and his team.

Based on Magellan’s survey, it doesn’t look like this year’s tax hike attempt will fair much better.

The poll had a margin of error of +/- 3.77%. The sample reflected the conservative leanings of odd year elections — historically low turnout affairs — with 39% Republican, 36% Democrat and 25% Unaffiliated. It used a combination of cell phones and landlines to reach respondents.

There was a bright spot in the poll for tax hikers — people are positive about the general idea of raising taxes for education 50%-43%. The problem for the tax hike set is that as soon as you ask about specific proposals, the bottom falls out.

It seems people like the idea of spending more money on education — as long as it’s someone else’s.

Long live TABOR!

UPDATE: An interesting note from the polling memo: The sample used is slightly more Democratic in its makeup than previous off-year elections, giving the pro-tax hike side a slight bump. And they are still getting crushed. See the partisan makeup of the electorate in 2009 and 2011 below: