Biden picks first person of color to head Census fulltime
President Joe Biden says he'll pick the president of the American Statistical Association to lead the U.S. Census Bureau as it works toward releasing data from the 2020 census that will be used for redrawing congressional and legislative districts.
Montana goes red; it's status quo in other governor races
Mike Parson, and State Auditor Nicole Galloway are seen onstage before the Missouri gubernatorial debate at the Missouri Theatre in Columbia, Missouri. Democrats are hoping to gain control of more state legislative chambers after Republicans scored huge wins in 2010. The only governor's job to change parties is in Montana, where Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte defeated Democratic Lt. Gov. The national Democratic and Republican governors associations and the campaigns themselves have contributed more than $24 million to the race. In Missouri, incumbent Mike Parson, a Republican, defeated Nicole Galloway, the state auditor who was the Democrats' best chance to pick up a seat.
Census takers fall short of target goal in areas of US
In any case, census takers, who go door to door, fell short of reaching all the households that hadn't filled out the census form in many pockets of the country. According to the Census Bureau, census takers reached 99.9% of the households they needed to contact in most of the 248 census areas the bureau designated across the U.S. The second-most accurate information after self-responses comes from household members being interviewed by census takers. Information was obtained by these methods for almost 40% of the census takers' caseload, according to the Census Bureau. How much time the Census Bureau has to crunch the numbers is still being fought in courts and in Congress.
Judge: Census violated order; demands mass text to workers
But the 2020 census deadline remains in flux, making it uncertain if census takers will finish counting the vast, rural state. Judge Koh wrote in Thursday's decision that the Census Bureau and Commerce Department, which oversees the agency, had violated her injunction “in several ways." “Defendants’ dissemination of erroneous information; lurching from one hasty, unexplained plan to the next; and unlawful sacrifices of completeness and accuracy of the 2020 Census are upending the status quo, violating the Injunction Order, and undermining the credibility of the Census Bureau and the 2020 Census," the judge wrote. The Census Bureau said it sent out the mandated message Friday afternoon. Contact your supervisor with any questions.”The Census Bureau reported that 99.1% of the nation's households had been counted, though several states in the South were trailing that figure.
Knock-knock. Whos there? The 2020 Census
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. If you havent already filled out your census form, dont be surprised if you get a knock at the door. U.S. Census takers are beginning to stop by the homes of those who have not completed their census paperwork to improve response rates. In a tweet Tuesday, Mayor Lenny Curry reminded procrastinating Jacksonville residents that they can expect a visit from census employees who want to make sure everyone is counted.Starting today, U.S. Census takers are visiting homes that have yet to respond to help ensure everyone is counted. Help us shape the future of our community. #MakeYourMark Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) August 11, 2020Help us shape the future of our community, Curry said.
California, Florida, Texas lose House seats with Trump order
Without undocumented immigrants, California would lose two seats instead of one, Florida would gain one seat instead of two and Texas would gain two seats instead of three, according to the analysis by Pew Research Center. The bureau currently is in the middle of the 2020 census. Every resident of a state is traditionally counted during apportionment, but Trump last Tuesday issued a directive seeking to bar people in the U.S. illegally from being included in the headcount as congressional districts are redrawn. Trump said including them in the count would create perverse incentives and undermine our system of government.At least four lawsuits or notices of a legal challenge have been filed seeking to halt the directive. The Democratic-led House Committee on Oversight and Reform is asking Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Census Bureau director Steven Dillingham and other officials to testify about the Republican president's directive at a hearing next Wednesday.
Community involvement critical component of census
I am disappointed in the governors attitude towards ensuring a complete count in Florida for all of our citizens, said Sen. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa. The once-a-decade reapportionment process relies heavily on census data. And an inaccurate census could cost Florida billions of dollars in federal funding that flows to the state for programs such as Medicaid. Florida consistently gets short-changed on federal funds to the state of Florida, because we use old, outdated census data. DeSantis maintains that the census is a federal issue and not one that the state should be involved in.
More wealthy Americans flocking to Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More high-earning Americans are choosing to make Jacksonville home. Bloomberg Analysis says there has been an increase in the number of people earning more than $200,000 annually. An analysis of U.S. Census data by Webster Pacific shows the area surrounding Marsh Landing is one of the top 10 spots for wealthy families to move. At the start of the new millennium, the area had a 20 percent concentration of the wealthiest Americans. The neighborhood is a short drive from the heart of Jacksonville.