Supreme Court on citizenship question, 2020 census

[rlvaughn]

Supreme Court looks likely to back Trump administration on adding citizenship question to 2020 census

In an expanded, 80-minute oral argument that exposed huge divisions among the justices, the court's conservatives didn't buy arguments that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross' plan was illegal or unconstitutional. They didn't question his motives or reasoning despite three lower court rulings against him.

Their ruling would clear the way for all households to be asked about citizenship for the first time since 1950. A reduced response rate among 22 million noncitizens would tilt the allocation of House seats and about $650 billion in federal funds from Democratic to Republican states and localities.

 

[Reformed1689]

It is ridiculous that this is even before the Court.

 

[Adonia]

The citizenship question was on the census form for over 100 years - until the Obama regime removed it, which was part and parcel of his "fundamental transformation" of the nation plan. He removed it, and the next President after him reinstalled it. I think that is fair and just..

 

[Reformed1689]

The citizenship question was on the census form for over 100 years - until the Obama regime removed it, which was part and parcel of his "fundamental transformation" of the nation plan. He removed it, and the next President after him reinstalled it. I think that is fair and just..

This isn't completely accurate, it is more nuanced than that. I don't have time to go into the details.

 

[Reformed]

Practically speaking, households that have illegals are not going to respond to census takers anyway. Perhaps that is the desired effect.

 

[Revmitchell]

There is nothing wrong with the question. Suing to keep it on the Census is only an attempt to legislate via the courts.

 

[Salty]

The only constitutional purpose of the census is to determine how many House members that each State/Commonwealth are to receive.

Article I, Section 3:
Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.
Of course two major changes - Indians are counted and "all others" are no longer counted as 3/5th.

I found this link - which seems interesting

 

[rlvaughn]

Supreme Court blocks 2020 census citizenship question for now, demands more fact-finding at lower court

"The evidence tells a story that does not match the explanation (Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross) gave for his decision," Roberts wrote. "The sole stated reason seems to have been contrived."

"The court's erroneous decision in this case is bad enough, as it unjustifably interferes with the 2020 census," Thomas wrote. "But the implications of today's decision are broader. With today's decision, the court has opened a Pandora's box of pretext-based challenges in administrative law."

"To put the point bluntly," Alito added, "the federal judiciary has no authority to stick its nose into the question whether it is good policy to include a citizenship question on the census or whether the reasons given by Secretary Ross for that decision were his only reasons or his real reasons."

Is Roberts a ringer? First, Obamacare and now this.

 

[777]

No, SCOTUS didn't rule that the census question couldn't be asked, the majority just asked for further clarification. There was an adjunct decision (5-4, guess who flipped) that said in theory, there was nothing unconstitutional about asking the question. The trouble here is that the census doesn't have the question on it yet but printing was supposed to start next week. No time, so Trump wants a delay:

Trump seeks 2020 census delay after Supreme Court blocks citizenship question

Related, there was another Trump win in SCOTUS today:

Carrie Severino: Supreme Court's gerrymandering decision has one big winner

Back to the census question, I don't see the big deal, the citizenship question was already on the long form. I think the left wants it out because they don't want Americans to know how many illegal aliens are here and if the question was excluded, CA, NY and IL would lose even more Congressional seats.

 

[Salty]

Back to the census question, I don't see the big deal, the citizenship question was already on the long form. I think the left wants it out because they don't want Americans to know how many illegal aliens are here and if the question was excluded, CA, NY and IL would lose even more Congressional seats.

The libs are afraid that illegals would not fill out the census - thus the lost of seats as you stated.