On March 20, 2019 the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) held a Midwest hearing of the 2020 Census Preparation in Columbus, Ohio. The City of Columbus, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, and the Ohio Commission for Hispanic Latino Affairs hosted the half day hearing. The Columbus Complete Count Committee Co-Chairs, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and Franklin County Commissioner, Kevin Boyce, welcomed the commissioners and guests and shared their commitment for a complete count in Central Ohio.
This work – especially in central Ohio and every corner of the Midwest – is critical and adequate funding for communications and outreach is needed. The convening was an opportunity for elected officials, community-based organizations, researchers, and community organizers to share their concerns about the hard-to-count communities, the under-count of children and the citizenship question. I was honored to be invited and represent Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio. In my remarks I shared the importance of credible messages and credible messengers in these efforts as we work to ensure that Ohio’s voice and our representation are not endangered by an under-count.
View complete testimony here.