Gov. Scott establishes committee to ensure accurate count of 2020 census

In an effort to ensure the accurate statewide count of the upcoming 2020 census, Gov. Phil Scott recently announced the formation of the Vermont 2020 Complete Count Committee.

The committee, created by the Executive Department’s Executive Order 09-19, will work to ensure proper representation for residents across the state, according to the governor.

“A complete count of our population is essential for the fair representation of Vermonters at all levels of government,” Scott said last month in a statement. “The results of the census inform important decisions of federal and state government, impacting our ability to grow the economy, make Vermont more affordable and protect the most vulnerable in all 251 towns.”

U.S. Department of State

Gov. Phil Scott on the 2020 census: “A complete count of our population is essential for the fair representation of Vermonters at all levels of government.”

The committee will consist of both private and public stakeholders in the state and will include state and municipal government officials, state legislators, community organizations and representatives of populations that are allegedly undercounted in the census.

Potentially overlooked groups include young children, highly mobile persons, racial and ethnic minorities, non-English speakers, low income persons, persons experiencing homelessness, undocumented immigrants, those who distrust the government, LGBTQ individuals, persons with mental or physical disabilities, and people who do not live in traditional housing, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

Scott said the committee also is charged with identifying barriers to full participation in next year’s census, and will create an outreach plan to remove barriers in the way of completing a precise count.

The executive order says the committee will be comprised of 30 or fewer individuals appointed by the governor, and will include the heads of various state agencies, or their designees. Other members will be select representatives from sectors or groups including municipal government, minority and immigrant communities, homeless shelter providers, senior citizens, local businesses, and more.

Public outreach strategies, Scott noted, will include state and school-based initiatives as well as non-profit community-based partnerships. This will include a multi-lingual, multi-media “Complete the Census” campaign.

The Vermont State Data Center, based at the University of Vermont’s Center for Rural Studies office (through the national State Data Center Program) will be active during the upcoming census.

The State Data Center Program, according to the UVM Center for Rural Studies website, is “a link between the states and the U.S. Census Bureau to make data available locally to the public through a network of state agencies, universities, libraries, and regional and local organizations.”

The U.S. Constitution mandates that the U.S. Census Bureau must conduct a confidential count of all people residing in the United States once every 10 years. Census results have both national and local impacts.

For example, census data is used to set the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Census data also helps allocate the amount of federal taxpayer dollars returned to states through federal grants and programs.

According to a report released by George Washington University, Vermont received about $4,000 per resident in federal taxpayer funds from 55 federal programs in 2016. The allocation was made using data from the 2010 census.

Lou Varricchio is a freelance reporter for True North Reports. Send him news tips at lvinvt@gmx.com.

Images courtesy of U.S. Army National Guard/Michelle Gonzalez/CC BY 2.0 and U.S. Department of State

14 thoughts on “Gov. Scott establishes committee to ensure accurate count of 2020 census

  1. Except for the queers those targeted groups are populated primarily by people who don’t and won’t vote. But it will surely provide Condos and his cabal with a nice list of names to add to voter registration lists and then mass produce marked ballots when the time comes.

  2. If they are going to count my bathrooms and bedrooms again and ask stupid questions that are none of their business, they will be up the proverbial creek without a paddle. Number of people at such and such an address, that’s it.

  3. The other night I happened in on the end of this recent congressional committee hearing on FCC oversight. Sometime in the last 20 minutes they talked about the census. I learned that it is going to be done on-line this year. Anybody else heard that? Seems like it should be part of the conversation. How’s that going to work? Here’s the full hearing. The census question and answer are near the end. https://energycommerce.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings/hearing-on-accountability-and-oversight-of-the-federal-communications-0

    • Briefly at ~2:39. Rest was bs re broadband auctions, etc

      Concern is re www headcount and inaccuracies due to lack of access

  4. I remember well at the last census. I had filled out my form and gave it to a collector. Shortly after another collector came by and insisted I fill out his form. Told him I had already done it.

    He insisted to no end. Finally got sick of him and told him to get to hell out. I summarize that they get paid for each form filled they collect.

    Could this be double-triple counting? The reason perhaps the Feds give the state $$$ depending on the (fake) population. Something is out of place.

  5. Better hurry up with the census, and provide the date taken for a reference point. People are leaving. This census will not be accurate after a year.

  6. Maybe he should include a study regarding fraudulent voting. Chittenden County now wants to allow non-citizens to vote in local elections which would effectively negate the vote of American Citizens.

    This is simply another attempt at Progressive Carpetbaggers marginalizing the Vermont native citizen.

    • Agreed Mark. It isn’t just Chittenden County either. But the fraudulent voting seems to work for him so why worry about that?
      Another failure of the Scott abomination.

  7. Good, let’s see who’s here and who paying what !! I see the cast of characters involved,
    I won’t hold my breath on accuracy………….. How are they counting all the homeless ??

    Time will tell

  8. Just wondering the accuracy of this census. Will we know the number of illegal immigrants living in the state of Vermont and where they are located?

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