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91_SR0139
SDS/910007reso/BSdo
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Article I, Section 2 of the United States
3 Constitution requires an actual enumeration of the population
4 to be made every 10 years, in such a manner as may be
5 directed by law.
6 WHEREAS, A complete and accurate count of all persons in
7 the United States of America is vital to the interests of the
8 people of the State of Illinois; and
9 WHEREAS, Past censuses have been significantly
10 inaccurate, despite good faith efforts of the Census Bureau
11 and its personnel; and
12 WHEREAS, Technological advances have made statistical
13 sampling a more reliable and accurate source of information;
14 and
15 WHEREAS, The National Academy of Sciences, at the request
16 of the United States government, has devised a sampling
17 method for conducting the 2000 census that would be more
18 accurate; and
19 WHEREAS, The last federal decennial census, conducted in
20 1990, was the first census that was less accurate than the
21 previous census; and
22 WHEREAS, Recent federal decennial censuses, including the
23 1990 census, significantly undercounted millions of
24 Americans; and
25 WHEREAS, The U.S. Census Bureau has reported that the
26 1990 census undercounted 8.4 million persons and overcounted
27 4.4 million persons; and
28 WHEREAS, More than one-half of the 8.4 million persons
29 undercounted in the 1990 census were children; and
-2- SDS/910007reso/BSdo
1 WHEREAS, The undercount has had a disproportionate impact
2 on virtually all minorities within the State of Illinois,
3 including the African-American, Hispanic, Asian-American,
4 Native American, and poor populations; and
5 WHEREAS, The 1990 census was recognized as not attaining
6 the American goals of fairness and equality due to the racial
7 and economic differentials; and
8 WHEREAS, Illinois has lost seats in the United States
9 House of Representatives in five of the last six
10 reapportionments conducted since 1940 and, of all
11 Congressional seats, preliminary census figures have Illinois
12 apportioned the last Congressional district, based on its
13 claimed population; and
14 WHEREAS, Any loss of a Congressional district in Illinois
15 will bring with it a proportional loss of federal revenues;
16 and
17 WHEREAS, The Supreme Court of the United States has
18 rendered a decision , in No. 98-404, Department of Commerce,
19 et al. v. United States House of Representatives, et al.,
20 together with No. 98-564, William Jefferson Clinton,
21 President of the United States, et al. v. Glavin, et al.,
22 that while Section 195 of the Census Act prohibits the use of
23 sampling procedures to adjust the census for the purposes of
24 allocating Congressional Representatives among the States, it
25 does allow the Secretary of the Department of Commerce to
26 propose the use of statistically adjusted numbers "if
27 feasible" for other purposes; and
28 WHEREAS, In addition to Congressional reapportionment
29 purposes, census figures are used to determine various forms
30 of federal aid, including aid for schools, transportation,
31 and health care, and to determine election boundaries at the
32 State and local levels; and
-3- SDS/910007reso/BSdo
1 WHEREAS, The historical undercounting of the State's poor
2 and minority populations has cost the State and local
3 governmental entities an untold, but enormous, amount of
4 federal revenues; and
5 WHEREAS, The traditional methods of conducting the census
6 will be less accurate than the scientific methods developed
7 by the National Academy of Sciences, regardless of the amount
8 of funds allocated by Congress to conduct a census using the
9 traditional methods; therefore, be it
10 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIRST GENERAL
11 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, That we urge the federal
12 government to take immediate and appropriate steps to ensure
13 that, in addition to an actual enumeration, the modern
14 scientific methods are used in conducting the census so that
15 the most accurate population figures will be provided
16 pursuant to statute on or before April 1, 2001, as the
17 official federal decennial census; and be it further
18 RESOLVED, that we further urge the federal government to
19 use the more accurate figures obtained through the modern,
20 scientific methods in conducting the 2000 census for the
21 purpose of conducting all post-2000 redistricting within the
22 State of Illinois; and be it further
23 RESOLVED, that suitable copies of this resolution be
24 transmitted to the President of the United States, the
25 Vice-President of the United States, the Speaker of the
26 United States House of Representatives, the President Pro
27 Tempore of the United States Senate, the Illinois
28 Congressional delegation, the Secretary of the United States
29 Department of Commerce, and the Director of the Bureau of the
30 Census.