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Breaking News from America's Progressive Community... Latest
Releases
The press releases posted here have been provided to NewsCenter by the one of the many progressive organizations we have selected to participate. If you would like more information about this press release, you should contact the organization directly. |
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| JANUARY
25, 1999 2:15 PM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Brian Komar 202-466-3311 |
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| Civil Rights Coalition Says Congress Should Change Statute to Endorse Scientific Methods for Apportionment | ||||
| WASHINGTON
- January 25 - Calling today's Supreme Court decision against the use of scientific
sampling methods for apportionment purposes in the upcoming census "the
latest in what has become a disturbing trend of narrow 5-4 decisions that jeopardize the nation's commitment to equal opportunity
for
all," Wade Henderson, executive director, Leadership Conference on
Civil Rights (LCCR), called on Congress to enact legislation that allows the
Census Bureau to employ the most up-to-date, scientific methods to conduct
the most accurate and complete census.
Henderson emphasized that the Court's decision does not prohibit the use of scientific sampling for purposes of drawing state or local legislative boundaries or distributing government funds. Henderson also reiterated that ensuring the 2000 census employs scientific sampling methods for these non-apportionment purposes in the upcoming census remains one of the highest priorities of the civil rights community. "While it is unfortunate that a narrow majority of the Supreme Court reached the conclusion that current law prohibits the Census Bureau from using sampling for apportionment purposes, it is critical to understand that the Supreme Court did not rule that scientific sampling methods can not be employed in the 2000 census for other purposes, including legislative redistricting and the disbursement of billions of dollars of federal funds. "The civil rights community will work with a bipartisan coalition of local, state and national stakeholders to enact legislation to allow the Census Bureau to take the most accurate and complete 2000 census, and use those figures for all purposes. "We also urge the Clinton administration to continue its policy working to eliminate the persistent and growing undercounts for children, minorities and the poor that have plagued the census for decades through the use of scientific sampling for redistricting purposes. There is universal agreement that direct counting methods alone do not have the capacity to reduce the differential undercount of children, people of color, American Indians living on and off reservations, and the urban and rural poor and that scientific sampling will produce a more accurate census at every measurable geographic region. Thomas Jefferson, who oversaw the nation's first census in 1790 once said, "with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times." As we head into the 21st Century, Congress should heed the wisdom of Jefferson, and allow the Census Bureau to utilize proven scientific, statistical methods to conduct the most accurate and fair census possible. -------------- For more information on the 2000 census, visit the LCCR's Census Web Site at http://www.civilrights.org/census/ ### |
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