Panel Frets Over Maryland’s Outreach On Census

Maryland has the data, and the numbers-crunchers, to maximize the state’s count during the U.S. Census next year.

“We are one of the leading states in terms of getting ready for the Census,” Alfred Sundara, manager of the Maryland State Data Center, told members of the 2020 Maryland Complete Count Committee on Tuesday.

But is the state doing enough to spread the word about the Census and ensuring that every last Maryland family participates in next spring’s count? That’s a trickier question.

During its past two meetings, members of the committee, who were appointed by Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) with an assist from legislative leaders, have pressed state Planning Secretary Rob McCord about the state’s plans for publicizing the Census, which is taking place on April 1.

Making sure that every Marylander is counted is critical to the state; funding for myriad federal programs that flow to states and local jurisdictions is largely determined by the decennial population count. Census numbers also help shape political boundaries that last for a decade.

Click here to read the rest of the article written by Josh Kurtz over at Maryland Matters

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