On Tuesday, 15 Republican governors issued a joint letter urging Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to release the 2020 Census redistricting data “as soon as possible.”
Included among those was Gov. Kay Ivey. The letter warns that the nearly six-month delay releasing the data has made state legislatures unable to redraw district lines prior to the 2022 election cycle.
In addition to Ivey, signatories included Republican Govs. Asa Hutchinson (Ark.), Doug Ducey (Ariz.), Ron DeSantis (Fla.), Brian Kemp (Ga.), Kim Reynolds (Iowa), Mike Parson (Mo.), Greg Gianforte (Mt.), Pete Ricketts (Neb.), Doug Burgum (N.D.), Mike DeWine (Ohio), Henry McMaster (S.C.), Bill Lee (Tenn.), Greg Abbott (Texas), and Mark Gordon (Wyo.).
“[S]tates aided the Bureau within the Bureau’s fluctuating timelines for self-response and non-response follow-up (NERFU) in good faith,” the letter said. “Yet, we are now facing a nearly half-year delay beyond the statutory deadline for receiving redistricting data. This delay places an unreasonable burden on our states and undermines public trust in the foundations of our democratic republic.”
The letter argued the Biden administration’s foot-dragging approach was preventing states from fulfilling constitutional obligations.
“Districts for the U.S. House of Representatives cannot be drawn until the data has been released,” it said. ‘Districts for state legislatures also cannot be drawn until this data has been released. Districts for county, parish, township, and municipal governing bodies cannot be drawn until states have had the opportunity to draw congressional and state legislative districts. Lastly, districts for school district seats cannot be drawn until county, parish, township, and municipal governing bodies have had the opportunity to draw their own respective districts.”
“As a result of such negative impacts to our constitutional responsibilities, we seek the release of redistricting data as soon as possible—and in line with traditional timelines—so that states may begin to perform important redistricting tasks on behalf of our constituents,” the letter added.
Letter attached:
Update 11:50 a.m.:
Ivey said in a statement, “The stakes were high for Alabama in the 2020 Census, and because of our efforts on the local and state levels, we succeeded. Now, we are urging the Biden Administration to not further delay the release of the redistricting data, so that we can be prepared as a state before the 2022 elections. The states made adjustment after adjustment with the fluctuating timelines for the Census, but now, we are facing a nearly half-year delay, which places significant burden on us. It is important this data becomes available to the states as soon as possible.”
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly, and host of Mobile’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on FM Talk 106.5.
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