PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 30, 2019
Salt Lake City, UT – According to an article just released by NPR, a court filing shows that the citizenship question on the 2020 Census was recommended to the Trump administration by a Republican strategist. According to court filings, a study conducted by the architect of the Census citizenship question showed the question would be “advantageous to Republicans and Non-Hispanic Whites” in the 2021 redrawing of electoral maps. The constitutionality of the citizenship question itself is still awaiting a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court.
“This confirms what we have long believed about the Census citizenship question–it was a calculated, partisan attempt to suppress minority communities from being included in our national records,” said Lauren Simpson, policy director for Alliance for a Better Utah. “Our Latinx communities in particular are at risk of being undercounted, and as a result, all Utahns will be the worse for it.”
The Utah Legislature failed to appropriate any state funding toward education and outreach in anticipation of the Census during the 2019 General Legislative Session. However, some lawmakers have recently expressed interest in appropriating up to $1 million dollars to ensure that all Utahns are counted in the 2020 Census.
“We’re hopeful that state lawmakers will come through and put our money where it counts–by making sure that all Utahns are represented in the 2020 Census,” Simpson continued. “It goes without saying how critical the Census is to make sure that Utah has the federal funding it needs. As Utahns, we’re all in this together.”
###
Alliance for a Better Utah is a good government advocacy and watchdog organization based in Salt Lake City. The organization works to improve the lives of all Utahns by ensuring balance, transparency, and accountability in Utah politics, policy, and government. More information at www.betterutah.org.