Expert warns Massachusetts committee that 2030 census changes could weaken redistricting data

Jeffrey Weiss, a law professor and director of a New York election, census and redistricting institute, told the Senate Committee on the Census that the combination of recent Supreme Court rulings, Department of Commerce policy shifts and Census Bureau resource shortfalls creates serious uncertainty for the 2030 redistricting data cycle.

"Enacted 1975, public law 94 1 71 revolutionized American democracy by legally requiring the Census Bureau to deliver hyperlocal block level population counts to states for redistricting," Weiss said, describing PL 94-171 as the "legal backbone" for enforcing voting-rights protections. He warned that recent announcements from the Commerce Department indicate the administration plans to discontinue the Census Bureau's use of differential privacy without clear public rulemaking or explanation.

Weiss traced how changes in race and ethnicity questions, the growth of multiracial reporting and the 2020 introduction of differential privacy have complicated the technical and legal work of drawing districts. He told the committee those shifts mean mapmakers can no longer rely on a single, simple majority threshold and may need to build coalition-based analyses to identify protected-community influence.

Committee members asked whether state voting-rights acts can mitigate federal retrenchment. Weiss said many state statutes remain operational and that Massachusetts and other states should accelerate local preparations such as LUCA (Local Update of Census Addresses) canvassing and community outreach to reduce risk from federal changes.

The committee concluded with a procedural adjournment after the panel thanked Weiss and noted the Legislature has provided new FY27 funding for the secretary of state to make grants to support LUCA work.