Release date: 4/2/2019
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein joined a coalition of 18 states, 16 local governments, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, in filing a merits brief in the United States Supreme Court in the case challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 Census. Attorney General Stein released the following statement:
“When North Carolinians pay their federal taxes this month, they appropriately expect that they’ll see a fair share of their dollars spent in North Carolina. An accurate Census would do just that – it would make sure that North Carolina’s roads and schools are funded at the level that corresponds with the number of people living here. It also would ensure that we get all the Representatives we are entitled to. A census should not be political, and that’s why I’m fighting this effort.”
In January 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled to block the Trump administration from demanding citizenship information in the 2020 Census. The United States Supreme Court will be hearing the case in April 2019. The initial lawsuit was filed in April 2018. North Carolina is part of a coalition of 18 states, 16 local governments, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors in this case.
Background:
Six former Census directors, including those who served in both Republican and Democratic administrations, have opposed including the citizenship question in the 2020 Census. In their letter, the former directors write, “We strongly believe that adding an untested question on citizenship status at this late point in the decennial planning process would put the accuracy of the enumeration and success of the census in all communities at grave risk.”
A copy of the brief is available here.
Contact:
Laura Brewer (919) 716-6484
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