Gov. Scott Should Help Ensure a Fair and Accurate Census Count
- liza mcclenaghan
Media Contact
Groups call on the governor to work with the federal government ahead of the 2020 Census
Today, 31 national and local nonprofit organizations sent Governor Rick Scott a letter urging the state of Florida participate in the Local Update Census Address program in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau. This program aims at connecting officials in state, local and tribal council governments to the U.S. Census Bureau to ensure every person is counted in the 2020 census.
“The census is essential in ensuring every person is counted accurately, has fair political representation, and communities receive the resources they need” said Liza McClenaghan, the state chair of Common Cause Florida and a signer of the letter. “By joining this program, Gov. Scott can help ensure every Floridian is accurately counted in the 2020 census and that Florida communities can grow and become stronger.”
The Census Local Update of Census Addresses Operation (LUCA) was authorized by the Census Address List Improvement Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-430). The 2020 Decennial Census is a voluntary geographic partnership operation. It is the only opportunity for state, local, and tribal governments to review and update the Census Bureau’s Address List for residential addresses and group quarters.
Joining the LUCA program is a commonsense approach to help ensure an accurate 2020 census. According to the US Census Bureau, 85% of Florida counties and 43% of Florida cities participated in the program during the 2010 Census.
The Census has a major impact on every Florida community. Over $600 billion per year is distributed to communities across the United States based on Census data. This funding includes money for infrastructure and roads, healthcare, schools, and more. In Florida, the amount of funds distributed by the sixteen largest federal assistance, programs on basis of decennial census information totals $29,283,302,687 according to the George Washington University Institute of Public Policy.
Communities of color, immigrants, rural, and low-income Americans are especially at risk of being missed, but LUCA can help ensure that those communities — and all others — are counted accurately and community leaders have the data they need to make informed decisions
Organizations signing the letter in addition to Common Cause Florida include:
Florida Immigrant Coalition, Inc.
Mi Familia Vota Education Fund
Progress Florida Education Institute
National Council of Jewish Women
Faith in Public Life
National Congress of Black Women, Inc.
Central Florida Jobs with Justice
Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates
Hispanic Federation
Voto Latino
New Florida Majority Education Fund
Nigerian American Foundation
Florida Asian Services Center
NANAY, Inc.
NANAY, CEDC
OCA South Florida Chapter
Florida Chinese Federation
UnidosUS
Emgage
Equality Florida
FL Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
ACLU Foundation, Florida
Dream Defenders
South Florida LCLAA Chapter
Working America
Asia Trend, Inc.
Fair Elections Legal Network
FL Conservation Voters Education Fund
Asian American Federation of Florida
To view the letter, click here