A new poll suggests that a bill initiated by state House Republicans to opt out of the federal health care law has strong support.

A Raleigh-based conservative think tank, the John W. Pope Civitas Institute, released a new survey Monday that included a live caller poll of 600 registered voters. The poll shows that 63 percent of North Carolina voters think the N.C. General Assembly should pass a law that prohibits forcing residents to buy a health insurance plan. Twenty-five percent said a law should not be passed, and 11 percent said they do not know.

"The legislation proposed by Republicans in the North Carolina House is very popular," said Civitas Institute President Francis De Luca. "Voters want to retain their freedom to choose when it comes to health care insurance and health care decisions.

"Even with the passage of time, voters still have an unfavorable view of the federal health care legislation passed last year. Citizens of North Carolina have consistently rejected this intrusive and overreaching piece of legislation," De Luca said.

The poll was conducted January 19-20 by National Research Inc. of Holmdel, N.J. All respondents were part of a fully representative sample of registered voters in North Carolina.

The poll carries a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent. Click here to view the entire poll results.