(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown, joined by bipartisan Governors from Colorado, Washington, Michigan, Illinois, North Carolina, New York, and Vermont, today called on U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Willbur Ross Jr. and U.S. Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham, Ph.D. to restore the deadline of the United States 2020 Census. The U.S. Census Bureau recently moved up the deadline for the response and data collection period by an entire month—from October 31 to September 30, 2020.
“The newly adjusted deadline for response makes us especially concerned that our key partners will not be able to do the outreach necessary to reach Tribal communities, immigrant and refugee communities, communities of color, and rural communities,” said Governor Kate Brown.
“These communities are already being disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and not providing them enough time to complete their 2020 Census would be denying them valuable resources needed for their recovery from this crisis. In Oregon, nearly 1.3 million people are considered Hard to Count, and we’ve been working diligently over the last 20 months with a multitude of partners across the state and across sectors to ensure a fair, accurate, and complete count for Oregon.
“The decennial census is the foundation of our democracy and tells the story of who we are and where we are going as a nation. Federal funding for essential services and congressional representation is on the line, and it is crucial that we achieve a complete and accurate count.”
More information on how to complete the Oregon census can be found here.