Ohio AG And Census Bureau Settle On Data Disclosure

MARIETTA, OH — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has reached a settlement with the Census Bureau. He had been planning to sue the U.S. Census Bureau because they had been planning on delaying the release of population data until September 30. Federal law states that they had until March 31 to turn over the data, but the Census Bureau said the data release had to be delayed because of COVID-19.

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Ohio is going to be redrawing district lines this year and needs up-to-date census data to do so. If they didn't get it, they'd be forced to use old data. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals just announced that Ohio had standing to sue the Bureau for illegally delaying the release of the data. Within a week of that announcement, the Census Bureau agreed to turn over Ohio's population data by August 16. They will also have to provide bi-weekly updates to confirm they are on track to get the data in by that date. AG Yost said that before Ohio filed, the Bureau insisted that it could not provide accurate, usable data before September. "Because of our suit, the Bureau found a way.”

Southeast Ohio's U.S. Congressman Bill Johnson's Office released this statement on the matter:

Congressman Johnson was pleased to learn that Attorney General Yost and the Census Bureau came to an agreement to provide the much-needed population information sooner. Without this data, no progress can be made on drawing the state’s new legislative and congressional boundaries. That said, Congressman Johnson has nothing to do with the drawing of the congressional lines; and no matter how the district lines end up, he will continue working hard to represent the people of Eastern and Southeastern Ohio.

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