Philadelphia Inquirer: Pa. budget deal doesn’t include 2020 Census funding that state commission recommended

Philadelphia Inquirer: Pa. budget deal doesn’t include 2020 Census funding that state commission recommended

“We just can’t go into this with no funding," said Micah Sims, a member of Pennsylvania’s 2020 Census Complete Count Commission and executive director of the good-government group Common Cause Pennsylvania. "That would be a terrible situation. We have to avoid an undercount.”

The $34 billion state budget deal announced Monday does not include the more than $12 million that a state commission said Pennsylvania needs to ensure that residents are counted in the 2020 Census.

“We just can’t go into this with no funding,” said Micah Sims, a member of Pennsylvania’s 2020 Census Complete Count Commission and executive director of the good-government group Common Cause Pennsylvania. “That would be a terrible situation. We have to avoid an undercount.”

Population counts in each census determine the distribution of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds for hospitals, schools, roads, and other services; the boundaries of voting districts; and the share of seats each state gets in the House.

The state commission recommended that Pennsylvania spend $1 per resident to teach people about the importance of the census and to persuade residents — especially those who are historically undercounted — to answer their questionnaires next year.

Sims said the commission and Common Cause will “keep fighting until the final budget has been passed.”