April 16, 2015 Indiana Gov. Mike Pence spent the week telling reporters, "I think the difficult time that Indiana just passed through two weeks ago is behind us."

But a new poll released Thursday suggests the governor could have a tough time recovering from the controversy surrounding Indiana's "religious freedom" law.

The poll, from Howey Politics and conducted by a Republican-affiliated research firm, said that 46 percent of voters disapprove of Pence while 45 percent approve of him.

That approval rating is double digits below Pence's performance in other recent polls in the state. A January survey from Public Opinion Strategies conducted for Americans for Prosperity put Pence's approval at 66 percent, and a poll from February for the Indiana Association of Realtors had Pence at 62 percent.

Howey Politics editor Brian Howey described the hit to Pence's public profile as "significant, if not historic," adding: "In the 20 years that HPI has been publishing ... an Indiana governor has never experienced this kind of survey decline in this short time frame."

http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/poll-indiana-gov-mike-pence-s-approval-rating-plunges-after-religious-freedom-law-20150416