Census
Monday numbers: A closer look at the relative well-being of LGBTQ Americans
Last week Charlotte became the latest — and, by far, largest — North Carolina community to pass new LGBTQ-inclusive non-discrimination protections. The new protections come five years after state lawmakers and then-Gov. Pat McCrory passed HB 2, preventing local governments from introducing new non-discrimination ordinances.
Republican legislators reject Democrats’ proposal to include racial data in redistricting
State lawmakers in the House and Senate have unveiled the rules for drawing new voting maps, as a new round of redistricting begins. As Policy Watch previously reported, the U.S. Census Bureau released new population and racial data on Thursday. Shifts in population require new district maps for local and state elections that will be held in 2022.
Monday numbers: A closer look at North Carolina’s population growth
After unveiling the official counts of state populations, the U.S. Census Bureau released a new round of county and metro-level population estimates for 2020 ahead of detailed counts of the 2020 Census later this fall. The estimates are calculated by tracking births, deaths and migration on top of the 2010 Census count baseline. The figures serve as a reference point for how many people reside in each county. Although the statewide official count of 10,439,388 individuals fell short of the 10,600,823 estimate, they come pretty close.
Inside the GOP gerrymander for 2022
WASHINGTON – Republicans are rejoicing and Democrats are dismayed that population losses in the Rust Belt and gains in the Sun Belt, recorded by the 2020 census, will add Congressional seats in key Republican states and may tilt the 2022 elections. But don’t bet just yet on a GOP slam dunk. There’s more to this game than immediately meets the eye.
The 2020 census: North Carolina, Florida, Colorado, Montana among states gaining U.S. House seats
WASHINGTON — After months of delays, the U.S. Census Bureau on Monday started to distribute data that will be needed to redraw their U.S. House boundaries: an updated tally of how many people live within their borders, and the number of House districts that each state will have for the next decade.
Census delay in releasing population data throws states into chaos
NC expected to gain 14th U.S. House seat, but redistricting process could be more uncertain than ever WASHINGTON — The U.S. Census Bureau won’t be releasing population data needed to redraw state legislative and congressional district boundaries until Sept. 30 — six months after that data is typically made available.
New report: NC must do much more to combat poverty
Last year, 1.4 million North Carolinians lived in poverty and struggled to make ends meet, according to data presented in a new report by the Budget & Tax Center. The report, Fight Poverty, Promote Prosperity for North Carolina, by Alexandra Sirota, Director of the N.C. Budget an Tax Center, summarizes the most recent data from […]
Advocates: Census citizenship question could harm already undercounted NC communities
“Is this person a citizen of the United States?” To some that might seem like a simple question to put on the 2020 census, but to some already undercounted populations it perpetuates fear and creates a real possibility for their communities to lose resources.
Another editorial blasts Trump Census question, backs NC’s lawsuit against it
Be sure to check out the lead editorial in this morning’s Fayetteville Observer, (“Question will distort NC census count”). After explaining that no one has a solid count on the number of undocumented immigrants in North Carolina and the Trump administration’s laughable explanation that it hopes to get a better count by asking about people’s […]
Editorials agree: Census question on citizenship is a big mistake
There were two fine op-ed in the Raleigh area over the weekend on the controversial Trump administration plan to mar the 2020 Census with an inappropriate question on citizenship. Here’s columnist Ned Barnett of Raleigh’s News & Observer: “A citizenship question will drive down the responses not only from undocumented immigrants afraid of deportation, but […]
Civil rights, immigrant advocacy groups condemn new Census question on citizenship; California sues
A wide array of civil rights and immigrant advocacy groups are loudly condemning the Trump administration’s plan to include a new question in the 2020 Census about citizenship. This is from the good people at the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law: “In no uncertain terms, we condemn Secretary Ross’s decision to incorporate an […]
New analysis: N.C. and U.S. growing more diverse; General Assembly isn’t keeping up
The latest “Prosperity Watch” report from the the N. C Budget and Tax Center offers some interesting data on North Carolina’s growing diversity and the failure of the make-up of state elected leaders to mirror that trend. A review of our state’s demographics shows North Carolina is a growing and diverse state. This is great […]