HCR 35: Establishing a Joint Task Force on the Census and Redistricting.
00HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 35 01 Establishing a Joint Task Force on the Census and Redistricting. 02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 WHEREAS legislative districts in Alaska are redrawn every 10 years following the 04 decennial census conducted by the United States Bureau of the Census; and 05 WHEREAS Alaska's share of federal funding for many programs is also determined 06 by the census population numbers; and 07 WHEREAS the United States Bureau of the Census is currently preparing for Census 08 2000, in which every American is to be counted during February and April 2000; and 09 WHEREAS much of the United States Bureau of the Census' ongoing effort and 10 preparation ask for and encourage the active involvement of state, local, and American Native 11 leaders and officials; and 12 WHEREAS the Alaska Department of Labor, through its research and analysis 13 division, is being encouraged to work cooperatively with the United States Bureau of the 14 Census to ensure an accurate count in Alaska and that will optimally produce useful data for
01 many purposes, including redistricting; and 02 WHEREAS it should be the goal of the legislature to help the United States Bureau 03 of the Census and the Department of Labor in the upcoming census to obtain the most 04 accurate count ever taken of Alaskans; and 05 WHEREAS Alaska's Native population living in rural villages will be the first 06 Americans counted in Census 2000 because the United States Bureau of the Census will 07 conduct an early count in February 2000 before rural villagers disperse to fish camps and 08 other springtime activities; and 09 WHEREAS the United States Bureau of the Census, the Department of Labor, and the 10 legislature should be working with Alaska Native leaders to ensure a full and accurate count 11 of the Native population is achieved; and 12 WHEREAS it is imperative that the legislature be informed of and involved in the 13 process of preparing for Census 2000; 14 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature establishes a four-member task 15 force, consisting of two members of the Senate, one each from the majority and minority 16 caucuses, appointed by the President of the Senate, and two members of the House of 17 Representatives, one each from the majority and minority caucuses, appointed by the Speaker 18 of the House of Representatives, to track census and redistricting issues on behalf of the 19 legislature; and be it 20 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Task Force on Census and Redistricting work 21 cooperatively with the United States Bureau of the Census, the Department of Labor, local 22 officials, and other entities involved in the census-taking process with the goal of obtaining 23 and reporting back to the House of Representatives and the Senate pertinent and useful 24 information that will facilitate the bodies' understanding of census data, redistricting trends, 25 and anticipated legal issues surrounding the process; and be it 26 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Task Force on Census and Redistricting is 27 terminated on the day the First Regular Session of the Twenty-First Alaska State Legislature 28 convenes.