Every ten years, using census data, the city of Fresno considers changing the borders of its council districts. One of the main criteria is relatively equal population through the seven districts. Normally, 2020 census figures would be available by April 1. But, in this COVID era, data is delayed and may...
Judges: Trump Can’t Exclude Undocumented Residents When House Districts Redrawn
ORLANDO, Fla. — Saying the president had exceeded his authority, a panel of three federal judges on Thursday blocked an order from President Donald Trump that tried to exclude people in the country illegally from being counted when congressional districts are redrawn. The federal judges in New York, in granting...
Despite Judge’s Order, Plans Being Made for Census Layoffs
ORLANDO, Fla. — Even though a federal judge ordered the U.S. Census Bureau to halt winding down the 2020 census for the time being, supervisors in at least one California office have been instructed to make plans for laying off census takers, according to an email obtained by The Associated...
TJ Cox Wants You to Fill Out Your 2020 Census Form
Rep. TJ Cox has this message for his 21st District constituents and everyone in the Central Valley: Complete your 2020 census forms. "This year’s census will help determine how billions of your tax dollars get distributed and whether that money comes back to the Central Valley," the Fresno Democrat said....
100 Years Ago, Congress Threw out Results of the Census
The 2020 Census hasn’t even started – but it has already kicked off spirited fights. A Supreme Court case, decided last year, blocked a Trump administration proposal to ask every respondent if they were a citizen. Meanwhile, there are three pending federal court suits in which plaintiffs for civil rights...
Dyer Outlines Plans for Final Months as Chief
Jerry Dyer is on the final sprint to his Oct. 15 retirement date after 18 years as Fresno's police chief. He'll spend most of it on his hammock, metaphorically speaking. Politics 101 asked Dyer about the end of his term, as he transitions into a full-time candidate for mayor. What...
California Seeks More People of Color to Draw Political Maps
SACRAMENTO — California on Monday gave more time to apply to an independent commission that will redraw boundaries for most state and federal elections, an effort to get more people of color involved and avoid the political gerrymandering that has caused problems elsewhere. Nearly 14,000 people have applied for the...
Trump Insists He's Still Pushing Citizenship Question on Census
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump insisted Wednesday he is not dropping efforts to include a citizenship question on the upcoming 2020 census, even as the U.S. Census Bureau has started the process of printing the questionnaire without it. "News Reports about the Department of Commerce dropping its quest to put...
Census, Redistricting Top Remaining Supreme Court Cases
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court enters its final week of decisions with two politically charged issues unresolved, whether to rein in political line-drawing for partisan gain and allow a citizenship question on the 2020 census. Both decisions could affect the distribution of political power for the next decade, and both...
In California, People Can Ensure Fair Elections. Let's Get Started.
Headlines across the country have detailed Supreme Court actions regarding various state gerrymandering scandals, the politicizing the Census, and attempts by some states to create new ways to draw district lines after receiving 2020 Census data. California was not a part of any of those stories. More than a decade...