NY – The governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, announced on Monday the creation of the Census Council in the state, which will be co-chaired by the Puerto Rican actor and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, as well as by activist Martin Luther King III and the Chinese-American actress Lucy Liu.
As the governor announced in a statement, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the new council must “ensure that all New Yorkers are counted in the next 2020 census,” a key issue for receiving federal funds and being able to have resources to Serve all communities.
“The Council will act as the coordinating arm of the state to achieve a complete census count using the information obtained from the State Commission and the support of state, local and foundation funding resources,” said Cuomo.
The New York governor will also propose an additional $ 10 million in this year’s budget to ensure a fair and complete count of all New Yorkers in the census.
Additional funding would raise the state’s financial support to $ 70 million for the 2020 Census.
The governor also announced that the new Council will hold conferences to raise awareness about the Census and involve community organizations, leaders and local officials.
“As this federal Administration continues to deprive immigrant communities of rights and use all possible means to prevent them from completing this year’s Census questionnaire, we are taking aggressive measures to ensure that all New Yorkers are counted,” he said. Governor Cuomo.
“This new council will lead the situation by coordinating stakeholders so that we can reach our most difficult communities to count and help ensure that New York is accurately represented and obtains the federal funds we need and deserve.“said Cuomo.
“Representation is important and vital for the equitable allocation of federal funds to all of our communities,” said Puerto Rican-born actor and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The playwright wanted to “thank Governor Cuomo for creating the Census Council and, as co-chair, I encourage my neighbors to stand up and be counted and I hope everyone across the country will do the same. We are at the beginning of a new decade – he added – and a precise census makes a big difference for all of us. “
“Unfortunately, people of color are the least counted, leading to negative consequences for their communities. I am proud to work with Governor Cuomo to ensure that all New Yorkers, even those who are more difficult to reach, are counted in the Census 2020, “said Martin Luther King III.
The New York State Full Count Commission was created to inform and help direct the State’s efforts in the 2020 Census
– .
