Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Witnesses push for multi‑year, flexible state funding to allow community groups to scale census outreach
Summary
At an Oct. 31 hearing, advocates and municipal officials said Massachusetts must not repeat the late distributions of 2020 funding. They urged a trust‑fund or multi‑year appropriation, earlier grant rounds to support hiring and message testing, and mechanisms for nimble re‑deployment to undercounted neighborhoods.
Advocates, voting‑rights groups and municipal officials told the Senate Committee on the Census on Oct. 31 that the timing and flexibility of state grants will determine whether community groups can mount effective outreach for the 2030 census.
"We actually urge the legislature to invest in the amounts significantly past previous funding cycles," said Jeff Foster, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts, who recommended a dedicated funding vehicle — a trust fund administered for quick, targeted grants to communities with historic undercounts.
What happened in 2020: Witnesses recalled that…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
