HR0837LRB100 17492 MST 32661 r


  
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The United States Department of Justice has 
3requested that the U.S. Census Bureau reinstate a question on

4citizenship to the 2020 census, claiming that the data is 
5critical to the Department's
enforcement of Section 2 of the 
6Voting Rights Act and the important protections it provides 
7against racial
discrimination in voting; and
  
 
8    WHEREAS, The Department of Justice stated that it needs a 
9reliable calculation of the citizen voting
age population in 
10localities where voting rights are alleged or suspected; and
  
 
11    WHEREAS, Experts agree that since the same question is 
12included in the American Community
Survey it is adequate to 
13fulfill the Department of Justice's stated purpose of enforcing 
14the Voting
Rights Act; and
  
 
15    WHEREAS, Reinstating this question could lead to 
16comprehensive inaccuracies,
including how congressional 
17districts are drawn and  how government funds are distributed; 
18and
  
 
19    WHEREAS, U.S. senators have asked the current presidential 
20administration to reject the request since it
could depress or 
21hinder census turnout due to fear that the government could use 
 
 
HR0837- 2 -LRB100 17492 MST 32661 r

1the
information against the participants and since the question 
2has not been asked since 1950; and
  
 
3    WHEREAS, Reinstating this question may have the unintended 
4effect of increasing the Census
Bureau's costs and budget to 
5conduct the census, as the Bureau must send out enumerators to 
6interview the occupants of any
address that did not respond; 
7therefore, be it
  
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
9HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
10strongly urge the U.S. Census Bureau to not reinstate the 
11citizenship question to
the 2020 census; and be it further
  
 
12    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
13delivered to U.S. Census Bureau Director Ron Jarmin.