AP18:125
For Immediate Release
July 31, 2018
Contact:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575
Secretary of State Alex Padilla Urges Californians to Submit Public Comment on Citizenship Question, Launches new Census 2020 Web portal
SACRAMENTO - Today, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla unveiled census2020.sos.ca.gov — a new web portal that will provide news and resources for Californians leading up to and during the 2020 Census. As the first resource offering, the portal will provide a link to help interested Californians officially submit their public comment on the 2020 Census through the Federal Register. The U.S. Census Bureau public comment period ends Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
“The stakes of the 2020 census are incredibly high for all Californians,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “For decades, Census directors under both Democratic and Republican administrations abided by department policy and did not include a citizenship question. The Trump Administration’s decision to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census completely disregards science and proven methodology. I urge all Californians to speak out and submit a comment urging the exclusion of the citizenship question. The Trump Administration has clearly chosen to question the citizenship of every person in America in an effort to discourage diverse communities from participating. A census undercount would cost California its rightful share of billions of dollars in federal funding as well as our due representation in congress.”
On March 26, 2018, the Secretary of Commerce agreed to an alleged Department of Justice request, and announced the last minute addition of an untested and unnecessary citizenship question to the 2020 Census. On March 29, the Census Bureau formally submitted the questionnaire to Congress with the citizenship question added. California immediately sued to challenge the addition of the question.
"It's simple. For the Census to fulfill its purpose, it needs to count every person," Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom said. "The Trump Administration's willingness to jeopardize the integrity of the Census threatens democratic representation and millions in health, education, and infrastructure investments that are vital to all Californians. I commend Secretary Padilla in fighting for our state and I urge everyone to take action by using this website."
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