Census Battle Brews

A coalition of cities, counties and civil rights groups sued the U.S. Census Bureau last year…to stop it from ending the 2020 census early…out of fear a premature finish would undercount minority communities. Now, that coalition is attempting to block the state of Ohio from trying to force the statistical agency, under a new administration, into releasing data used for drawing congressional and legislative districts, earlier than planned. The coalition is asking a judge to let it oppose a lawsuit Ohio filed last month in federal court. Ohio became the first state to challenge the Census Bureau’s decision to release redistricting data at the end of September 2021 instead of at the end of this month, as required by law. The Bureau said it needed the extra time because of delays caused by the pandemic.