Opinion: Arizona’s census undercount isn’t Gov. Doug Ducey’s fault. But he made a mistake that will cost our state for years.
By Greg Moore | Arizona Republic
Arizona’s census undercount isn’t Gov. Doug Ducey’s fault. But it’s clear what his preferences were – and that’s a mistake that will cost our state for years.
Doug Ducey made a mistake that’s going to cost everyone in the state for the next decade – at least.
A few years ago, tagging behind Donald Trump, Arizona’s Republican governor agreed that the census should ask whether respondents are U.S. citizens, ignoring the obvious chilling effect such a move could have on response rates in Latino communities.
Then, last year, he stood idly by rather than using his influence or authority in an attempt to extend the deadline for state residents to file census responses, despite a raging pandemic that was slicing through Black, Hispanic and Native communities, making it hard for volunteers to do their jobs.
