Governor Tom Wolf announced that Pennsylvania has selected organizations to be on the Governor’s Census 2020 Complete Count Commission. The Commission will support the commonwealth’s efforts to achieve a complete and accurate census count.
“Having an accurate count of Pennsylvania’s population is essential for fair representation at the federal level,” said Governor Wolf. “This Commission will help our state to have a full and accurate count of our population. We need all people to be counted, from our biggest cities to our small and rural communities.”
The next decennial census will be conducted on April 1, 2020. The Commission shall recommend methods and policies to facilitate the most complete and accurate census count in the year 2020, including implementing strategies to reach hard-to-count populations and hard-to-enumerate areas.
There are far-reaching implications if Pennsylvania’s population is undercounted in 2020. If the data snapshot does not include all residents, the commonwealth could lose seats in Congress, receive billions of dollars less in federal funds for a variety of services and programs, and impact data used by the public and private sector.
“LAMPa is committed to working with our coalition partners to obtain a fair and accurate census. The economic impact of an undercount would affect millions of commonwealth residents,” remarked Lynn Fry, LAMPa program director. “Twenty-four geographic areas of Pennsylvania have been identified as targets to obtain an accurate count. We will be forwarding information as it becomes available to synods and constituents on ways you can assist.”
The following organizations will be represented on the Governor’s Census 2020 Complete Count Commission:
County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP)
Pennsylvania Municipal League (PML)
Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS)
Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs (PSAB)
Pennsylvania State Association of Township Commissioners (PSATC)
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA)
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE)
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (AICUP)
Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition
Urban Affairs Coalition
Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry
Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN)
Disability Rights Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters (PAB)
CAIR-PA (Council of American-Islamic Relations)
Energy Association of Pennsylvania
Philanthropy Network
Common Cause
The Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition
Pennsylvania Council of Churches
Pennsylvania Catholic Conference
Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA)
Pennsylvania State University (PSU)
Pennsylvania Library Association
Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania
Local Development Districts
Community Legal Services
PA Parents Teachers Association (PAPTA)
Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania (LWV)
Pennsylvania Voice
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
The Heinz Endowments
Community Action Association of Pennsylvania (CAAP)
United Way of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
CASA
Norman Bristol Colón, of the Department of Community and Economic Development, will lead the Census 2020 Complete Count Commission as executive director.
