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Michigan Joins Seven Other States Urging Census Deadline Reinstatement of 10/31

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The governor of Michigan has joined more than half a dozen fellow governors in crafting a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Census Bureau urging restoration of the original October 31st deadline for completing the 2020 Census.

Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined Oregon Governor Kate Brown, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, and Vermont Governor Phil Scott in sending a joint letter urging reinstatement of deadline for the Census collection and response period to October 31st. The Census Bureau recently slashed the period by an entire month to September 30, 2020.

Whitmer says, “The Trump Administration’s last-minute, under-the-cover-of-darkness changes to the U.S. Census deadline threaten our ability to get an accurate count, which will be used to determine Congressional representation and federal funding for the next decade.” She adds, “It is more important than ever that we be able to reach and account for every Michigander to ensure we receive funding for essential programs to help Michiganders recover from the COVID-19 crisis and be successful over the next decade – services like child care, education, foster care, and special education. I urge the U.S. Census Bureau to restore the October 31st deadline to give states the time needed to get a complete and accurate count. I’m also calling on all Michigan residents to complete the Census immediately, whether it’s online, by phone, or by mail, to ensure our communities receive the resources they’ve worked so hard to earn.”

In April, Congress and the White House agreed to extend Census count operations through October 31st in light of the extraordinary challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is still a possibility that Congress will act to extend the statutory deadline for delivering the population count beyond December 31, 2020.

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Despite that agreement, earlier this month, the U.S. Census Bureau, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, quietly announced they were shortening the 2020 Census deadline to September 30, 2020.

Historically, the U.S. Census has under-counted minorities, immigrants, those living in poverty, and young children. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed, confirmed, and highlighted pre-existing inequities in Michigan and disproportionately affected communities of color with authorities arguing that makes it all the more important that those populations are counted.

In Michigan alone, 3.3 million people are considered Hard to Count (HTC) based on the Census Bureau’s own Low Response Score calculation which factors in Internet access, rental rate and more, to determine which areas are less likely to respond to the 2020 census. Whitmer and others argue that with the shortened timeline, the Trump Administration is making it nearly impossible to ensure these Hard To Count communities are counted and as a result compromising funding for all Michiganders.

To view the letter sent by the 8 governors, click the link below:

Multi-Governor-Letter-on-Census-Deadline-8.18.2020