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Governor Bullock, Lt. Governor Cooney Blast Court Decision Allowing Census Bureau to Cut Short 2020 Census Count
Governor Steve Bullock and Lt. Governor Mike Cooney released the following statements after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision allowing the U.S. Census Bureau to suspend its 2020 Census counting operations before October 31 until further court action, creating additional uncertainty. Responding to the unprecedented impacts of COVID-19, the U.S. Census Bureau set October 31 as the deadline for the 2020 Census. The Bureau later reversed course and cut short the deadline, spurring two months of court battles to extend the count.
“The U.S. Supreme Court’s action to allow the U.S. Census Bureau to end the decennial count early will have lasting and damaging impacts on Montana,” Governor Bullock said. “As Justice Sotomayor recognizes in her dissent, rural and tribal places will be disproportionally impacted. Congress now has within its power to hold the U.S. Census Bureau accountable and require the constitutionally mandated count to continue through October.”
U.S. Supreme Court allows halt of Census count, possibly costing Montana 2nd House seat
If Montana is undercounted – and it’s not clear yet whether that will occur – the state could lose its chance to gain a congressional seat during reapportionment.
