Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), highlighting “the challenges faced by Montana in the current census,” told Senate leadership on August 4 about “the need for an extension to the data collection deadline” to October 31 in the next coronavirus relief bill.
“Given the rural nature of Montana, and the additional challenges brought about by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, reverting the deadline back to September 30, 2020 will leave tens of thousands of Montanans uncounted and underrepresented at the federal level. Nearly half of the households in the state have yet to be counted. This problem is especially alarming on our tribal lands where the response rate is as low as 5% in some areas and many residents only recently received invitations to participate. It is critical that a full and accurate census is completed and every Montanan is counted.”
His letter echoes the support from a recent bipartisan Senate letter, the U.S. business community, and nearly 900 stakeholder groups.
Read Sen. Daines’ letter.
The Census Project 
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