Governor Gretchen Whitmer says money and political clout are at stake in the upcoming US Census. She says Michigan stands to lose a great deal if everyone doesn’t participate.
Michigan’s lost five congressional seats since the 1980s due to fewer people counted by the Census bureau. That’s meant less political influence in Washington. The census also helps determine federal funding for health care, schools and roads. There was a significant number of people who exited the state during the Great Recession. Whitmer says that means it’s that much more important to make sure everyone is counted.
“Every one of us relies on getting the count right for the state of Michigan. Every one of us benefits when we get the count right for the state of Michigan.”
Whitmer says President Trump’s proposed citizenship question on census forms would discourage participation.