WPRO News and The Associated Press
Community and state leaders in Rhode Island are raising concerns about the 2020 census.
Mayors from Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls, as well as Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo and groups such as Common Cause, said Monday they’re concerned about how a test of the census is currently being conducted in Providence County. They’re raising the alarm about last week’s announcement that a question about citizenship would be added to the 2020 census.
They say adding a citizenship question will lead to fewer people filling out the census, which is required by the Constitution to count residents.
“Adding this question to the 2020 census will deter individuals across the state from filling out their census survey, and could have a significant impact on the accuracy of this count,” said Central Falls Mayor James Diossa, who convened what what billed as an “emergency news conference” Monday afternoon in his City Hall.
They say it could have far-reaching implications for how much federal money goes to cities and the state, and also for representation in Congress.
“This policy is wrongheaded, will lead to an inaccurate count, which will ultimately hurt Rhode Islanders in the form of less federal aid, as well as potentially less representation in Washington,” said Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo.
