Gov. Jay Inslee issued a statement today following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that temporarily blocks the Trump administration’s efforts to include a new citizenship question on the 2020 census. The court ruled that the administration failed to provide an adequate rationale for including the question and sent it back to the lower court for further review. While the ruling is a setback for the administration, Inslee says the fight isn’t over yet. Census officials say they must start printing forms in the coming months and a definitive court ruling is necessary to include the question.
Inslee has been vocal about his opposition to the question. Researchers estimate inclusion of the question could discourage more than 7 million people from participating.
“The Supreme Court made clear that the Trump administration has not made a compelling case for this untested, last-minute question," Inslee said. "This is certainly a blow to the Trump administration and its specious platitudes about protecting voting rights, which the court correctly called contrived. Unfortunately, the court failed to block the question outright. Our aggressive effort to ensure a complete count in Washington state will continue. We will not let the Trump administration succeed in using this fight to discourage people from participating in an effort that has profound political and fiscal implications for the next decade. We are committed to ensuring each and every Washingtonian is counted.”
Background:
Accurate 2020 census a priority for Inslee (April 2018)