2019-10-29 Senate Journal

WHEREAS, Section 2 of Article 1 of the United States Constitution requires the federal government to count the number of people living in the United States and its territories every ten years;

WHEREAS, federal law prescribes that the next census date will be April 1, 2020;

WHEREAS, census data are used by the federal government to allocate more than $675 billion in federal funds to states, counties, and communities reach year, as well as to determine the number of representatives each state will have in the United States House of Representatives and in apportioning legislative districts for the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly;

WHEREAS, a fair and accurate count in the 2020 Census is essential to ensure communities across Wisconsin received federal funding and fair representation;

WHEREAS, hard-to-count populations, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, include children (particularly those under age 5), immigrant and refugee communities, low-income persons, renters (especially in apartment buildings), those who do not live in traditional housing, members of Tribal Nations, Latinx, Hmong, Black Americans, persons with mental or physical disabilities, and rural residents without access to broadband;

WHEREAS, in Wisconsin, the total hard-to-count populations is over 613,000, according to census data analyzed by the Hard to Count 2020 Project at the Center for Urban Research, CUNY Graduate Center;

WHEREAS, a united voice from business, government, community-based and faith-based organizations, educators, media, and other community leaders will enable the 2020 Census message to reach more Wisconsinites;

WHEREAS, the creation of a Wisconsin Complete Count Committee will heighten awareness of the 2020 Census, encourage the full participation of everyone living in Wisconsin in the counting process, and ensure all Wisconsinites, including members of disadvantaged and rural communities, received fair and equal representation in government; and

WHEREAS, the United States Census Bureau encourages the formation of statewide Complete
Count Committees, and thirty-six other states have already done so;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, TONY EVERS, Governor of the State of Wisconsin, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the State, including Section 14.019 of the Wisconsin Statutes, hereby create the 2020 United States Census Complete Count Committee (“Committee”), and order the following:

1

1.

The Governor shall appoint the members of the Committee to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Committee shall consist of:

a

a.

The Governor or a designee, to serve as the chair;

b

b.

The Lieutenant Governor or a designee;

c

c.

The Secretary of the Department of Administration or a designee;

d

d.

Two members of the Wisconsin State Assembly, one representing each caucus;

e

e.

Two members of the Wisconsin State Senate, one representing each caucus; and

f

f.

Other individuals appointed by the Governor to serve at the pleasure of the Governor, who may include individuals representing Tribal Nations, local communities, community organizations, faith-based organizations, educational institutions, the business community, individuals with expertise in relevant fields such as demographics and Constitutional law, and other sector and communities reflecting the diverse geographic, economic, racial, cultural, gender, and occupational composition of this state.

2

2.

The Committee shall do the following:

a

a.

Provide public leadership to elevate and reinforce the importance of the 2020 Census;

b

b.

Identify barriers that may impede the full participation of Wisconsinites in the 2020 Census, including but not limited to identifying areas or groups within Wisconsin that are isolated geographically, socioeconomically, linguistically, racially, culturally, or otherwise may be difficult to count;

c

c.

Develop, recommend, and assist in the administration of an outreach strategy designed to overcome barriers to participation and ensure as complete a count as possible of Wisconsin’s populations in the 2020 Census;

d

d.

Develop, recommend, and assist in the distribution of educational and promotional materials designed to heighten awareness of the 2020 Census and encourage full participation by communities across Wisconsin;

e

e.

Recommend and coordinate specific roles for each state agency to facilitate an accurate and complete count in the 2020 Census;

f

f.

Coordinate efforts and resources with the United States Census Bureau and local complete count committees, and support and encourage the formation of additional local complete count committees where necessary;

g

g.

Coordinate efforts and resources with local governments, faith-based groups, non-profit organizations, private sector partners, and other individuals and entities working to ensure a complete count of Wisconsin’s populations in the 2020 Census; and

h

h.

Provide advice and take other action as requested by the Governor to support the administration of the 2020 Census.

3

3.

The Committee shall form a Hard-To-count Populations Subcommittee and ensure Wisconsin’s hard-to-count populations are accurately and completely counted.

4

4.

The Committee may form additional subcommittees as necessary.

5

5.

The Department of Administration shall staff the Committee.

6

6.

The Committee shall complete its work and submit a final report to the Governor by October 1, 2020. This report shall summarize its activities, describe learned best practices, and suggest improvements for the 2030 Census.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Wisconsin to be affixed. Done in the City of Milwaukee this twenty-eighth day of October, in the year two thousand nineteen.

TONY EVERS

Governor

By the Governor:

  DOUGLAS LA FOLLETTE

  Secretary of State

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