SF 3081

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/09/2018 09:04am

A resolution
memorializing the United States Secretary of Commerce to reject a request to include
a citizenship question on the 2020 Census; urging the President and Congress of the
United States to take necessary steps to prevent a citizenship question or other actions
that could undercount the whole number of persons in each state in the 2020 Census
results.

WHEREAS, the United States Constitution requires the federal government to conduct an
enumeration of the whole number of persons in each state, every ten years; and

WHEREAS, the next decennial enumeration of persons is scheduled to be conducted by the
United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, on April 1, 2020; and

WHEREAS, it is the mission of the Bureau of the Census to serve as the "leading source of
quality data about the nation's people and economy"; and

WHEREAS, collecting quality data about the whole number of persons in each state requires
a system of data collection that ensures an accurate and complete count; and

WHEREAS, all states, including Minnesota, rely on the Bureau of the Census to collect
accurate and complete data to ensure equity in implementing federal and state programs, including
programs supported by federal funds; and

WHEREAS, all states, including Minnesota, additionally rely on the quality of the Bureau
of the Census' data to ensure an accurate and equitable apportionment of representation in the United
States Congress; and

WHEREAS; the United States Department of Justice has requested that a question related
to a respondent's citizenship status be included as part of the 2020 Census questionnaire; and

WHEREAS; adding a citizenship question at this late date would fatally undermine the
accuracy of the 2020 Census by depressing participation, causing a population undercount that
would disproportionately harm states and cities with large immigrant communities, including
Minnesota; and

WHEREAS; adding a citizenship question would additionally hamper the goals of the federal
Voting Rights Act, including the goal of ensuring fair and effective representation for all
communities; and

WHEREAS; adding a citizenship question is inconsistent with the Bureau of the Census'
obligation under federal law to ensure that the information they disseminate is "accurate, reliable,
and objective"; and

WHEREAS; the Bureau of the Census' own information quality guidelines disfavor questions
that diminish response rates; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it respectfully urges
the United States Secretary of Commerce to reject the request by the Department of Justice to
include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of the State of Minnesota respectfully
urges the President of the United States and the Congress of the United States to take necessary
steps to prevent the Bureau of the Census from including a citizenship question on the 2020 Census,
or taking any other action that could result in lower response rates or a population undercount that
does not accurately reflect the whole number of persons in each state.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota is directed
to prepare copies of this memorial and transmit them to the United States Secretary of Commerce,
the President of the United States, the President and the Secretary of the United States Senate, the
Speaker and the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, and Minnesota's Senators
and Representatives in Congress.