Legislature(2019 - 2020)CAPITOL 106
04/23/2019 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation(s): 2020 Census by the Foraker Group, Cook Inlet Housing Authority, and Department of Labor & Workforce Development | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
JOINT MEETING
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON TRIBAL AFFAIRS
HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
April 23, 2019
8:03 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Representative Tiffany Zulkosky, Chair
Representative Bryce Edgmon, Vice Chair
Representative John Lincoln
Representative Dan Ortiz
Representative Chuck Kopp
Representative Sarah Vance
HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
Representative Harriet Drummond, Co-Chair
Representative Sara Hannan, Co-Chair
Representative Matt Claman
Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins
Representative Steve Thompson
Representative Sharon Jackson
MEMBERS ABSENT
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Representative Dave Talerico
HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
Representative Josh Revak
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION(S): 2020 CENSUS BY THE FORAKER GROUP, COOK INLET
HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
LAURIE WOLF, President/CEO
The Foraker Group
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave a presentation on the 2020 United
States Census.
EDDIE HUNSINGER, State Demographer
Research and Analysis Section
Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the presentation
on the 2020 United States Census.
KATIE SCOVIC, Senior Policy Analyst
Cook Inlet Housing Authority
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented on the importance of the 2020
United States Census and efforts taken by the Alaska Census
Working Group to address census-related challenges in Alaska.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:03:16 AM
CHAIR TIFFANY ZULKOSKY called the joint meeting of the House
Special Committee on Tribal Affairs and the House Community and
Regional Affairs Standing Committee to order at 8:03 a.m.
Representatives Thompson, Jackson, Kopp, Lincoln, Ortiz, Vance,
Drummond, Hannan, and Zulkosky were present at the call to
order. Representatives Edgmon, Claman, and Kreiss-Tomkins
arrived as the meeting was in progress. Representative Fields
was present in the audience.
^PRESENTATION(S): 2020 Census by The Foraker Group, Cook Inlet
Housing Authority, and Department of Labor & Workforce
Development
PRESENTATION(S): 2020 Census by The Foraker Group, Cook Inlet
Housing Authority, and Department of Labor & Workforce
Development
8:04:02 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY announced that the only order of business would
be a presentation on the 2020 Census from the Alaska Census
Working Group.
8:04:41 AM
LAURIE WOLF, President/CEO, The Foraker Group, relayed that The
Foraker Group serves as "the state nonprofit association for
Alaska and the nonprofit capacity-building organization for
nonprofits and tribes across Alaska." She said The Foraker
Group gives voice to nonpartisan public policy issues that
affect Alaska's nonprofit sector. She noted that over 44,000
Alaskans are employed in the nonprofit sector. She said
nonprofits rely on census data to do their work. She remarked,
"We get one chance every 10 years to get [the 2020 United States
Census] right." She introduced and recognized several people
involved with the Alaska Census Working Group.
8:06:35 AM
MS. WOLF began a PowerPoint presentation, entitled "Making
Alaska Count in the 2020 Census" [hard copy included in
committee packet]. She said the Foraker Group convened the
Alaska Census Working Group in 2017 with the intention of
advocating for a fair and accurate count of Alaskans in the 2020
United States Census. She described the working group as a
"nonpartisan, multi-sector collaboration" with representation
from business, nonprofits, Alaska Native organizations, the
University of Alaska, and local, state, and federal government,
among others. She said the working group has been influential
in building awareness among policymakers about the importance of
the 2020 United States Census. She added that the group has
begun an "active outreach" to ensure a fair and accurate count
in Alaska. She clarified that the fairness and accuracy of the
count is the primary motivation of the Alaska Census Working
Group. She said the working group is "not focused" on how
census data is used after the count, except insofar as the data
is used to ensure correct allocation of "federal dollars and
decisions."
MS. WOLF explained that the State of Alaska currently receives
$3.2 billion in federal funding. She said that allocation is
determined by the United States Census. She said the Alaska
Census Working Group wants to see Alaskans receive "their fair
share." She stated that a healthy economy relies on accurate
data. She stated, "We get one chance every ten years to get
this data right." She summarized that good data and federal
funds are important to Alaska and serve as a strong incentive to
"get the count right."
8:08:42 AM
MS. WOLF opined that the federal government has fewer resources
than are needed for an accurate count in a place like Alaska.
She said there will be fewer staff on the ground to conduct the
count. She opined that the United States Census Bureau's
(USCB's) outreach efforts are "lagging far behind" the timeline
necessary to build awareness of the United States Census and to
encourage Alaskans to participate. She mused on the amount of
advance communication necessary to build trust. She said there
will be no outreach to Alaskans whose only address is a post
office (P.O.) box to alert them that the United States Census is
approaching and to encourage their participation. She noted
that this was something identified as missing from the 2010
United States Census, and will be missing again during the 2020
United States Census. She said there are no federal dollars set
aside to translate United States Census materials into Alaska
Native languages. She stated that there is a much greater
expectation that Alaskans will respond to the United States
Census online, but noted that many Alaskans do not have
connectivity or access to the Internet. She said she
appreciates that a census worker will be placed in each village
to conduct "a paper count." She noted that this leaves Alaska's
urban areas with a wholly Internet-based process. She said
Alaskans must act.
8:10:11 AM
MS. WOLF explained that private sector businesses, tribes, and
local governments also rely on United States Census data. She
called the United States Census "the most important piece of
data we have to make strategic decisions." She said the Alaska
Census Working Group is willing to work to build awareness among
policymakers and in Alaska's communities of the importance of a
fair and accurate count. She shared the working group's goals:
to create a web-based hub for communication for local complete
count committees, to translate materials into Alaska Native
languages, to provide a mini grant program to incentivize local
action, and to build trust with PO box users. She said a
conservative estimate of the cost of these tasks is
approximately $800,000. She added, "In other states, this
effort is celebrated and led by the state, but that is not our
situation." She noted that neither The Foraker Group nor the
Alaska Census Working Group has anything to gain from this
effort, "except an understanding that Alaska works best when
government at all levels works together with nonprofit
organizations and private industry to help Alaskans."
8:11:37 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY asked for clarification that the differences
between the 2020 census and the 2010 census are that there will
be no "heads up" mailing sent to P.O. boxes ahead of the count,
that materials will not be translated into Alaska Native
languages, and that it will be an online-only response for
enumeration.
MS. WOLF clarified that enumeration would not be online-only and
that there would be a paper option. She said this would be
explained further later in the presentation.
CHAIR ZULKOSKY asked for confirmation that regional Complete
Count Committees (CCCs) would be established in Alaska
communities at an estimated cost of $800,000.
MS. WOLF clarified that the $800,000 cost is for the tasks the
Alaska Census Working Group has proposed to do; the CCCs are
self-funded at the local level. She noted that she does not
have a cost estimate for that.
8:13:00 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ORTIZ noted that Ms. Wolf has frequently invoked
the words "fair" and "accurate." He asked if she could provide
additional examples of risks that could result in an unfair or
inaccurate count.
8:13:32 AM
MS. WOLF stated that there are multiple ways in which the
upcoming census could be "not fair." She explained that even if
census efforts were well-funded, Alaska would still be a
difficult state in which to conduct a count. She said that the
fewer resources committed to the effort by the USCB, the less
likely that every Alaskan will be counted.
REPRESENTATIVE ORTIZ mused that accuracy appears to be the major
concern.
MS. WOLF concurred.
8:14:37 AM
CO-CHAIR HANNAN asked for elaboration on the $800,000 figure.
8:14:54 AM
MS. WOLF answered that the $800,000 figure is the budget
compiled by the Alaska Census Working Group based on cost
estimates for the proposed tasks. She said there is currently
no public source for that funding, so the group has attempted to
raise the funds from private sources. She mentioned previous
attempts to advocate for state funding for census efforts. She
said that to her knowledge, such funding from the State of
Alaska has not materialized. She stated that the Alaska Census
Working Group has not yet raised the $800,000. She said the
Foraker Group and the Cook Inlet Housing Authority (CIHA) have
both contributed in-kind time toward the fundraising effort.
She remarked that $175,000 has been raised from out-of-state
sources that have recognized the difficulty of conducting a
census in Alaska. She shared that if the State of Alaska were
to mirror the census funding formulas of other states, then it
could allocate $1.5 million to the census effort.
8:16:37 AM
CO-CHAIR HANNAN asked whether the State of Alaska has ever
allocated funds to support previous census efforts.
8:16:55 AM
EDDIE HUNSINGER, State Demographer, Research and Analysis
Section, Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DLWD),
recalled that State of Alaska funds were set aside to support
CCCs in the 2010 United States Census. He said he would have to
research the exact numbers and offered to follow up with the
committee.
8:17:19 AM
MS. WOLF restated that the Alaska Census Working Group's goals
are to build a website-based communication hub for Alaska's
CCCs, translate census materials into Alaska Native languages,
create a mini grant program, and send informational mailers to
P.O. box users. She said these efforts will be accomplished
through "as many partnerships as we can muster."
8:17:57 AM
KATIE SCOVIC, Senior Policy Analyst, Cook Inlet Housing
Authority, identified herself as a member of the Alaska Census
Working Group. She continued the PowerPoint presentation begun
by Ms. Wolf. Ms. Scovic stated that the largest potential
consequence of an inaccurate census count would be a reduction
in federal funding, especially in light of constrained SOA and
local government budgets. She added that an inaccurate count
would result in a lack of accurate data for governments,
nonprofit organizations, tribal entities, and private businesses
to plan for the future. She explained that accurate census data
helps influence decisions such as whether or not to build a new
grocery store in a village or whether or not to add new flight
routes. She said census data also influences the enforcement of
voting and civil rights laws. She reiterated that every person
who goes uncounted in Alaska will cause a reduction in services
funded through federal dollars, such as road repairs, education,
housing, and food assistance.
MS. SCOVIC detailed several census-related challenges and
threats to an accurate count. These include geographic
barriers, language barriers, barriers to connectivity, and
populations that are especially difficult to count. She noted
that due to Alaska's unique geography, special counting methods
are used in Alaska that are not used in any other state.
Regarding language barriers, she noted that USCB will provide
versions of census materials in 14 languages, including English,
but none of those languages are Alaska Native languages. She
commented on challenges related to Internet connectivity, noting
that not all Alaskans will be asked to fill out their census
forms online, but the United States Census is trending in that
direction.
8:20:25 AM
MS. SCOVIC addressed a map on slide 8 which displayed the census
tracts across the Lower 48 states that are classified as "hard-
to-count." She explained that most areas of the Lower 48 are
relatively simple to count, with high rates of resident
participation. She then addressed a map on slide 9 which
displayed the concentration of "hard-to-count" tracts across
Alaska. She explained that much of Western Alaska and Northern
Alaska are classified as "special enumeration tracts" and
require special counting methods. She mused that Alaska is like
an inversion of the Lower 48 with the majority of its geographic
space classified as hard to count.
MS. SCOVIC noted that certain populations and areas of Alaska
are at risk of being undercounted. She explained that the
tracts classified as special enumeration tracts were
undercounted in the 2010 United States Census by 8 percent, a
figure she called "staggering" considering the federal resources
tied to each uncounted person in those areas and the need for
federal resources in those areas. She stated that the 2010
United States Census also featured a nearly 5 percent undercount
of American Indians and Alaska Natives living on reservations or
tribal lands. She said the combination of those two figures
indicates that the populations living on tribal lands in the
special enumeration tracts are especially at risk of being
undercounted and therefore are at risk of missing out on
important federal resources. She listed additional groups at
risk of undercount: renters, children under the age of five,
Alaskans experiencing homelessness, and people living in
overcrowded housing situations. She said the Alaska Census
Working Group must educate people and conduct outreach in those
communities, especially to let people know it is safe to
participate in the census and that their data is kept
confidential. She said that it is important for someone who may
be living in an extremely overcrowded housing situation to feel
safe disclosing that information to the United States Census.
She spoke of the potential benefits and resources to the
community should those people disclose their information. She
explained that awareness of the benefits and potential will be a
major piece of the strategy to overcome distrust and fear of
retribution tied to information provided to the census.
8:23:48 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON mused on the potential for overcounting
in places like Prudhoe Bay and at seafood processing plants in
House District 37.
8:24:16 AM
MS. SCOVIC concurred. She said the presence of seasonal workers
is another factor that makes it difficult to conduct a census in
Alaska. She noted that this is part of why the count begins
earlier in Alaska than in other states. She spoke about the
challenges in crossing difficult terrain to reach people in
their residences as well as in figuring out when during the year
certain residents are at home in their permanent residences.
8:24:48 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY asked for an explanation of the "special counting
methods" used in certain parts of Alaska.
8:25:05 AM
MS. SCOVIC said the special enumeration tracts will be counted
using in-person counting methods. She described the method
known as "remote Alaska,which entails hired census enumerators
placed in each village working in hand with community members to
verify the count. She said the remote Alaska method is a very
time- and resource-intensive process, but the goal of USCB is to
count everyone no matter where they live or how difficult they
are to count.
8:26:06 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN expressed frustration that USCB will not
be translating materials into Alaska Native languages. She
asked for elaboration on the role played by the Remote Alaska
enumerators in translating the materials and/or communicating in
the Alaska Native language of the village to which they are
assigned. She mused that the best-case scenario would be for
the materials to be translated and for the enumerators to be
fluent speakers of the local indigenous language, but conceded
that such a scenario is not possible for all communities.
8:26:54 AM
MS. SCOVIC imparted the importance of translating the outreach
materials that will be mailed to explain the census and
guarantee the safety of those who participate. She said there
are not enough "boots on the ground" to hand-deliver those
materials and to convey that advance information. She said that
USCB staff would likely be better positioned to directly address
Representative Hannan's question but shared her understanding
that the ideal scenario of translated materials and fluent
workers is not likely. She noted that it is her sense that
translated materials will not be available, so it will be
critical to find enumerators who possess the language skills to
both work with the USCB staff and serve the needs of the
village. She described the hiring process and efforts to find
people who meet those qualifications as "intensive." She stated
that one of the Alaska Census Working Group's biggest priorities
is translation of materials.
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked whether materials translated into
indigenous languages were made available during previous
censuses and, if so, whether the shift away from that occurred
at the federal or state level.
8:28:15 AM
MR. HUNSINGER stated that he does not believe USCB has made
outreach materials translated into Alaska Native languages
available for previous censuses. He opined that this should be
a priority for Alaska as it would help ensure a complete count.
Regarding P.O. box outreach, he noted that there was a plan to
conduct it for the 2010 United States Census, but those plans
did not come to fruition. He opined that P.O. box outreach
would also help toward the goal of a complete count in 2020. He
noted that the 2020 count would affect Alaska for the following
decade.
8:29:03 AM
MS. WOLF shared that the Alaska Census Working Group recently
became aware that the total number of languages into which
outreach materials would be translated has decreased. She said
that is a federal decision rather than a local or statewide one.
She offered to pass along information comparing translations for
the 2010 and 2020 censuses. She shared that the group was also
told that USCB workers will not be able to instruct people how
to fill out a census form; therefore, the group is placing a
focus on the outreach materials to go out before the census
happens, as opposed to the actual census form.
8:29:42 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY asked for clarification on how the local
enumerator positions are funded.
8:29:51 AM
MS. SCOVIC stated that those enumerators are USCB staff who will
"go through the regular federal employment process." She
briefly explained the structure through which the federal
government has established statewide and local presences via
various offices.
8:30:16 AM
MS. SCOVIC, returning to the topic of undercounting, noted that
there is risk in both urban and rural areas of the state. She
noted that racial and ethnic minorities are overrepresented in
hard-to-count populations, such as the population of people
experiencing homelessness and the population of people living in
overcrowded housing situations. She said she wanted to clarify
that there are hard-to-count tracts in places such as Anchorage,
Juneau, and Fairbanks.
MS. SCOVIC explained that the typical counting method is "self-
response," meaning people respond via mail, telephone, or
through an online form. She noted that self-response is the
most common method for households in places like Anchorage,
Juneau, and Fairbanks. She said this method involves zero
contact with a USCB employee. She described another counting
method, the "update leave" method, which she said entails USCB
enumerators "on the ground" delivering census materials at
people's doorsteps. She added that the enumerators also verify
and correct their address lists throughout this process. She
said the update leave method is used for approximately 60,000
households in Alaska in places such as Valdez, Bethel, and Nome.
MS. SCOVIC detailed yet another method, called "update
enumerate," which involves USCB enumerators going door to door
and counting people at their places of residence. She said this
process involves face-to-face interaction during which people
are interviewed. She said this method is used for approximately
4,000 households in Southeast Alaska. Ms. Scovic returned to
the topic of the remote Alaska counting method, which she said
highlights Alaska's uniqueness. She noted that USCB utilizes
seven different counting methods and one, remote Alaska, is used
solely in Alaska. She said that similar to update enumerate,
remote Alaska entails enumerators traveling door-to-door and
counting people at their places of residence. She said the
collected information is then verified by someone in the
village. She described the process as "more collaborative, in-
person, [and] time-intensive on the local level." She said the
remote Alaska method is used for approximately 30,000 households
in Northern Alaska, Western Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands.
8:33:42 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ORTIZ asked whether the enumerators who go door
to door are required to achieve face-to-face contact with the
people they count, or if they are allowed to trust local
knowledge about where people live.
8:34:15 AM
MS. SCOVIC stated that an in-person attempt is preferable, and
several attempts are to be made to meet difficult-to-reach
people in person. She noted that after a certain point, if the
person is not able to be reached, then the enumerator is allowed
to use neighbors and community members to help locate the person
or fill out the form through a collaborate effort.
MS. SCOVIC returned to her presentation and noted that
legislators can learn how their district will be counted by
visiting www.censushardtocountmaps2020.us. She said the website
also contains information about how certain districts were
undercounted in 2010. She noted that the Alaska Census Working
Group believes one of the largest components of the outreach
effort needs to be simply letting people know what the 2020
United States Census entails. As an example, she said residents
of Alaska House District 38 should be informed that they will be
counted via in-person methods, that it is safe to participate,
and that they should expect to see a community member working
with USCB staff to conduct the count.
8:35:58 AM
MS. SCOVIC said the remote Alaska operation will begin January
21, 2020, in Toksook Bay. She stated that the operation will
consist of three waves with completion near the end of April
2020. She said the first wave of remote Alaska will cover
Western Alaska, the second will cover Northern Alaska, and the
third will cover the Aleutian Islands plus Glennallen and the
surrounding areas. She noted that the remote Alaska operation
will take place earlier than much of the count across much of
the rest of the nation.
8:36:42 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY invited her colleagues to Alaska House District 3
for the start of the 2020 United States Census.
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON quipped that it could be the location of a
special legislative session.
8:36:57 AM
MS. SCOVIC restated that to facilitate Remote Alaska, USCB will
hire and train an enumerator in each village to help conduct the
door-to-door count. She recognized efforts by USCB to mobilize
in remote locations to ensure an accurate count in Alaska.
8:37:41 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JACKSON noted that the pay for locally-hired USCB
enumerators is "pretty good." She recognized that the three-
phase approach to enumerating hard-to-count areas makes sense.
She asked whether there is concern that the federal government
"won't do their job properly," thus reinforcing the need to
spend $800,000.
8:38:43 AM
MS. SCOVIC answered that it is not so much a question of whether
USCB will do its job properly, but rather a recognition that its
job is especially difficult, particularly in Alaska. She noted
that minor errors when enumerating in remote locations can add
up, leading to a significant undercount. She said the goal of
outreach is to benefit Alaska by bolstering USCB's efforts.
REPRESENTATIVE JACKSON noted that USCB has been conducting
censuses for a very long time. She asked why there is greater
concern now about the coming census than there was for past
censuses.
MS. SCOVIC stated that there are "a couple layers" to that
question. She spoke to widespread concerns related to distrust
of government, data privacy, and online security. She said
those trends lead to individual fears which manifest on the
local level.
8:40:31 AM
MS. WOLF stated that the 2020 United States Census has been
significantly underfunded on the federal level. She said USCB
has been slow to mobilize. She stated that USCB's lagging
potentially impacts Alaska to a greater degree than other
states. She said this is part of the reason why there is more
concern now than there was before.
8:41:04 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP thanked the presenters for their
presentation. He asked how USCB determines residency status.
8:41:26 AM
MS. SCOVIC stated that the most basic definition is where a
person spends the majority of his/her time during the year. She
said this applies to seasonal workers and college students,
among others. She deferred to USCB for a more thorough answer
and explanation of their process.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP asked if it may be possible for USCB to
partner with the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation (APFC). He
noted that it is the most accurate dataset of all Alaskans. He
noted that the permanent fund dividend (PFD) application period
ends March 31 [annually]. He said law enforcement entities use
that dataset when conducting an investigation. He also
suggested USCB partner with the Alaska Native Corporations to
acquire information about shareholders so that USCB can work
from an existing dataset. He noted that there would be
potential hurdles related to data sharing restrictions.
MS. SCOVIC said USCB has explored using administrative data to
supplement its work or potentially replace its work if the data
is highly accurate. She stated, "That's not where the census is
today." She shared concerns that some people are missing in the
PFD data. She said a "perfect tool" does not exist and cannot
replace the work of USCB in capturing where people are on a
certain day in time. She reiterated that USCB is looking into
the potential benefits of using administrative data.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP stated that it is difficult to incentivize
people to participate in the census, but the incentives are very
high for participation in the PFD.
8:43:37 AM
MS. WOLF spoke to the complex process of compiling and cross-
checking names and addresses. She assured committee members
that USCB does not "start from scratch" when conducting its
count. She restated that there is no perfect source of
population data and reiterated that for every Alaska Native
person not counted, Alaska misses out on $3,000 per year missed
for a decade. She said that is why accuracy matters and why,
even if the PFD data is off by 1 percent, such an undercount
will compound. She noted that a complete count is mandated by
the Constitution of the United States of America.
8:45:04 AM
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE concurred with Representative Kopp's
suggestion that USCB partner with APFC. She suggested finding a
way to incentivize census participation, such as a drawing for
free Alaska Airlines tickets. She also suggested that USCB
could partner with SOA to inexpensively facilitate translation
of materials. She advocated for forming inexpensive
partnerships. She relayed an anecdote about a friend from
Anchor Point, Alaska, who was one of the final persons to
conduct a census by dog sled in the Denali region. She
discussed past census workers who were chased off people's
property, illustrating the trust issues inherent in conducting a
census. She said the solution was to conduct the count by dog
sled and that it was an example of the USCB adapting to
enumerate in the least invasive way. On the topic of trust, she
stated that door knocking is not very welcome in her district
and can feel like an invasion of privacy. She opined that many
Alaskans do not want to share their personal information. She
asked whether there are ways to show the value of census data
and assure concerned Alaskans that their privacy is not being
invaded.
8:48:06 AM
MS. SCOVIC responded that USCB has released a study based on
research done with focus groups to assess individuals' knowledge
of and barriers to the United States Census. She said one major
takeaway is that people generally do not know what the United
States Census is and why it is happening. She said people
generally do not understand the value of United States Census
data. She added that people generally do not believe or
understand that USCB is restricted from sharing personal data.
She noted that it is a federal crime for a USCB official to
share any personal data. Ms. Scovic addressed those barriers as
the ones most vital to overcome. She spoke to the important
role played by the messenger, noting that a federal mailer does
not induce a great deal of trust. She remarked that it would be
valuable to have a local community member who can vouch for the
importance of the United States Census.
8:49:34 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN commented that Alaskans who participate in
the PFD are likely to already be responsive to the census. She
opined that it is the vast majority of others who should be a
cause for concern. She spoke to the difficulty of achieving an
accurate count of people who may not be eligible for the PFD or
are experiencing disruptions in their lives such as homelessness
or mental health issues. She opined that those are the "8
percent that we're missing."
8:51:09 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY relayed that both Governor Bill Walker and
Governor Michael J. Dunleavy have issued administrative orders
related to the United States Census. She asked Ms. Wolf to
speak to the purpose and application of those orders.
8:51:33 AM
MS. WOLF stated that the Walker Administration issued
Administrative Order (AO) 301 to establish a CCC in Alaska; Ms.
Wolf disclosed that she was appointed to that commission. She
said Governor Walker's administrative order focused on the count
itself and was connected to the Alaska Census Working Group.
She said the new administrative order has "not yet met." She
emphasized that it is "dramatically different." In response to
Chair Zulkosky, she stated that the intent of AO 301 was to work
on communication prior to the Census. In AO 301, Governor
Walker cited the efforts of the Alaska Census Working Group, as
well as state backing of communication outreach related to "the
count." In response to a follow-up question, Ms. Wolf said she
could not offer a response regarding the state's perspective of
the AO issued by Governor Dunleavy; however, she said she could
list the changes ordered. They include: removal of the Alaska
Census Working Group as a partner; change of chair designation
from the group to the governor; removal of the Alaska Municipal
League (AML) appointee; call for "a mayor, a municipality, from
the state"; removal of the governor's Tribal Advisory Council
recommendation seat; removal of the Regional Health Care
Organization seat; removal of a seat assigned to both the House
and Senate; transfer of CCC to the Department of Administration
from the Department of Commerce, Community & Economic
Development; removal of references to timeline and expected
workflow; and removal of some meeting protocol.
8:55:00 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY recognized that different administrations have
the prerogative to issue different administrative orders.
Regarding accuracy and fairness in the count, she asked Ms. Wolf
to speak on how structural changes of the Alaska Census Working
Group might impact or change outcomes.
MS. WOLF surmised that the Special Committee on Tribal Affairs
may be most concerned that the undercount occurs in rural Alaska
and that with [Governor Dunleavy's] AO, there would be no
representation by the group that has that area of expertise.
8:56:15 AM
MS. SCOVIC elaborated on the response of Ms. Wolf by stating
that AO 301 covered issues related to outreach and efforts made
before the count, and she said she thinks there has a been a
sort of "reframing towards what happens when the count is
completed and what that data is used for."
MS. WOLF added that Governor Walker's budget had included
$250,000 toward the work of the CCC. That money was taken out
of [Governor Dunleavy's] budget, and $1 million dollars was
targeted toward redistricting. She concluded, "So, again, it's
more about what you're going to do with the data than collecting
the data itself, which was our original intent."
8:57:29 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY asked whether the concern is the shift from
ensuring an accurate count "from the front end throughout the
process" to "focusing resources at the back end for how that
information is being used."
MS. WOLF answered, "That is our understanding."
8:58:17 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN assumed that under AO 303, Mr. Hunsinger
was the DLWD designee for the CCC. She said there are three
other state designations. She asked whether there are any other
governor-appointed members of CCC that also serve on the Alaska
Census Working Group.
8:58:52 AM
MR. HUNSINGER offered his understanding that he is the only
person who is "on both of the administrative orders" and has
"participated ... to provide information and support the efforts
of the working group and all Alaskans to help ensure complete
counts for Alaska."
8:59:27 AM
MS. WOLF continued with the presentation. She outlined requests
being made to the legislature: to build trust, by explaining to
constituents the importance of the census and how the data
obtained from it can create positive change; to send messages to
constituents and encourage participation through the PFD
application; to get word out about census staffing opportunities
in each region of the state; to mobilize CCC on the local level;
to advocate for state funding for communication and funding of
the count; and to utilize the resources from the Alaska Census
Working Group. She said the working group is doing a lot but
cannot do it alone.
9:02:38 AM
MR. HUNSINGER remarked that he has not heard about any "change
in focus" in relation to CCCs. Regarding the mention by
Representatives Kopp and Vance of PFD data, he confirmed that
USCB has been in touch with the Department of Revenue in Alaska
with an Administrative Records Program providing diverse
administrative data from across the country. He talked about
direct response and using the PFD to get the word out about the
census. To a comment made earlier by Representative Jackson, he
said the Alaska Census Working Group worked with [DLWD] to
ensure there were enumeration areas that were not "drastically
modified." He said there had been concern about new ways to
make counts that would have been detrimental to Alaska. He
credited USCB for working on this issue, as well. He told
Representative Jackson that "we" are concerned with USCB's
investment in nonresponse follow-up. Better outreach and
materials in various languages and use of USPS is needed. Many
people do not respond to census outreach "in the first pass,"
which means USCB has to go out in the field again; however, he
commented that USCB may not go out as many times in 2020.
9:06:02 AM
MR. HUNSINGER related that he works with two colleagues in the
department on population estimates and projections, as well as
participates in census partnership programs "to ensure accurate
and useful data for Alaska from the Census Borough." He said
the decennial census is the most important dataset for
generating statistics related to populations. He continued:
In addition to its constitutional mandate for
reapportionment, it is the starting point for
virtually all state and local population estimates in
the country, and these estimates are used for funding
allocations and the development of countless reports
and statistics. I should note that [the] United
States Census Borough manages many different surveys,
many of which ... are ongoing. The American Community
Survey is an ongoing one that we rely on and talk
about a lot. But when we talk about the census
[emphasis on the word "the"], we mean the decennial
count of the entire U.S. population. The
questionnaire for the decennial census is pretty
brief, but the questionnaires must be filled in for
every single household and living quarters in the
country, and each of these households and living
quarters must be tied to a certain place. This is a
huge undertaking. The last census was 2010, of
course, and the next one is 2020, so this is coming up
very soon.
9:07:21 AM
MR. HUNSINGER introduced his PowerPoint presentation, entitled
"2020 Census in Alaska; Overview and State Data Use." He
directed attention to slide 2 of the PowerPoint, which showed
publications that rely on census data, including population
projections, vital statistics, jobs forecasts, crime statistics
in Alaska, the American Community Survey (ACS), community
database information, education statistics, and housing
statistics. He said the census is often "the only reliable
source of demographic and household characteristics." He said
when he is called to provide data regarding age or race in a
small village in Alaska, he knows that the census data is the
preferred source. He continued:
Sometimes, we can rely on the American Community
Survey, but due to small sample size, the data for
small communities is often unreliable. Since
decennial census data should represent a complete 100
percent count, they don't have the kind of uncertainty
that comes with other sources, like the American
Community Survey, and it especially effects data for
small communities.
MR. HUNSINGER said while PFD data is important, it does not
cover everyone; many military personnel, students, and people
who have recently moved to the state are note covered. This
information must be used in conjunction with reliable decennial
census data. He expressed hope that the following could be
learned from USCB on "how things are looking" in terms of
recruitment, budget, outreach, and nonresponse management, how
many people will be hired, and how that compares to 2010.
9:10:57 AM
MR. HUNSINGER directed attention to slide 3 and discussed USCB's
emphasis on data protection and privacy. He relayed that under
Title 13 of the U.S. Code, USCB cannot release any identifiable
information about individuals, households, or businesses, even
to law enforcement agencies; the information may be used only
for statistical purposes. He said Title 44 of the U.S. Code
allows national archives and records administration to release
data, individual records, for historical research only after 72
years. All Census workers take a lifetime oath to protect the
personal information of individuals. Any violation comes with a
penalty of up to $250,000 or up to five years in prison.
MR. HUNSINGER talked about the recent work of USCB related to
"disclosure avoidance," which he explained is the steps taken by
USCB to ensure that the statistics tables it publishes do not
disclose information about individuals. Those steps include
"data squashing" and "fiscal noise" added for certain
calculations. With the 2020 Census, USCB is planning on using a
new method of disclosure avoidance, called "differential
privacy." He said USCB notes that the transition to the new
method is important in keeping up with new threats to data
security; however, Mr. Hunsinger said it is not clear to him at
this point how Alaska's data will be affected. He said many
data users across the country share concerns about the new
differential privacy protocol. He said USCB noted a challenge
in tabulating accurate and detailed demographic and housing
characteristics for American Indian and Alaska Native tribes,
Alaska Native villages, associations, communities, councils, and
corporations. He said Alaska is home to many communities with
small populations of less than 5,000, some with less than 500.
These communities especially rely on the census, and he
expressed hope that Alaska can learn more from USCB on how data
quality and availability for these populations will be affected.
He indicated that the question is whether USCB's attempt to
protect information will result in less data or less reliable
data. He said he thinks this is a topic Alaska needs to hear
more about from USCB.
9:14:24 AM
MR. HUNSINGER directed attention to slide 4, entitled "2020
Census Barriers, Attitudes, and Motivators Study Survey Report."
He stated concern about the hiring of census enumerators. He
noted other areas of concern, including: possible impediments
resulting from the difficult federal hiring process; difficulty
in finding and identifying housing units in Alaska; multi-family
and extended family arrangements being counted fully; distress
and fatigue related to surveys, in general; and communication
challenges related to language barriers.
MR. HUNSINGER talked about an analysis, which identified five
barriers to census participation: concern about data privacy
and confidentiality; fear of repercussion; distrust in all
levels of government; the feeling that being counted doesn't
matter; and the belief that completing the census might not
result in personal benefit. He read a quote: "Funding by
public services was a top motivator across groups; yet less than
half of respondents knew that the census is used to determine
community funding." He read another quote from USCB focus group
research, as follows:
Tying participation in census to community funding
and, by extension, the hope in a better future for
younger generations was a key motivator for response.
Helping people understand the purpose, the content,
and the process of the census may increase their
participation in the 2020 Census. Messaging is needed
... for how the census directly benefits local
communities now and in the future. Providing
information about the [United States] Census Bureau's
data protection policy alone will not mitigate the
concerns around data privacy and confidentiality.
Encouraging response from trusted voices within the
community may increase participation among people with
the greatest distrust in government.
9:18:23 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON offered his understanding that DLWD states
that Alaska is the most migratory state; it has the most people
coming and going, with about half the state's population turning
over within 10 years. He asked how that affects Mr. Hunsinger's
job in relation to census data.
9:19:17 AM
MR. HUNSINGER stated that the department relies on information
from the PFD application; however, since it takes a person one
to two years to be eligible for the PFD, the department uses a
"Census ratio method" to estimate household numbers throughout
the state that are then adjusted to an Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) dataset. Other populations affect the numbers, such as
military numbers. The department uses special surveys to
determine those other populations. He said, "It all hinges on
the decennial census count."
9:21:29 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND inquired how the Alaska Census Working
Group will count homeless populations.
9:21:46 AM
MR. HUNSINGER answered that the census will count people in
"transitory locations" on a designated day. He indicated that
Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Juneau have homeless counts, and that
information can be provided to USCB.
9:22:38 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY expressed her appreciation for the work of the
speakers on the Census. She offered her understanding that the
ACS provides economic data obtained through census data
gathering.
9:23:33 AM
MR. HUNSINGER confirmed that the ACS depends on the decennial
census. The ACS is "weighted, adjusted to match the population
estimates." Incomplete tabulation would affect a myriad of
statistical information.
CHAIR ZULKOSKY recollected that following the 2010 United States
Census, it had been estimated that a small community in Western
Alaska had a median income of $70,000; however, that was because
all of the individuals in that sample happened to be employed.
She inquired about how ACS information is used.
MR. HUNSINGER responded that reliable income information is
difficult to get. He said, "The sample is so small." He said
other states do not have so many populations with less than
5,000 people. Nevertheless, he said other states are also
concerned about the differential privacy issue.
CHAIR ZULKOSKY explained she would like to understand how the
ACS data is being used by communities and the importance of its
accuracy.
MR. HUNSINGER indicated it is used by people looking for
statistics related to, for example, health, crime, and
employment, and other types of socio-economic data, all of which
rely on a good decennial census.
9:27:42 AM
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE asked what kind of cyber-security federal
government has to maintain confidentiality.
MR. HUNSINGER answered that he cannot speak to the technical
aspects, but he said he thinks USCB has shown that it manages
sensitive data well. He responded to further questions from
Representative Vance. He confirmed that the 72-year timing on
holding records private has been around for a long time. He
talked about available Ancestry.com records derived from Census
information older than 72 years.
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE shared that although she is wary of giving
out information, her family benefited from information given out
through an ancestry search.
9:31:45 AM
MS. WOLF suggested USCB staff could answer more specific
questions on the topic.
9:32:04 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN postulated a scenario in which she was
able to appropriate a million dollars to the state's budget for
Census concerns, and she inquired where those funds would be
best allocated.
9:32:48 AM
MS. SCOVIC responded that the Alaska Census Working Group has
identified a few top priority items, including: $30,000 toward
translation; providing mini-grants to communities creating CCCs;
and a minimum of $200,000 toward outreach efforts. She said
those are the main components, but there are other items beyond
the bare minimum budget.
9:34:26 AM
MS. WOLF added that the Alaska Census Working Group has
considered this question. It has heard from librarians who
would create kiosks in their libraries, from local schools that
would educate children about the census. She said there are
many ideas that relate to the work done leading up to the
census, but she thinks there is a need for resources during the
census, as well. She said there are an expected 1,000 jobs
during the census, but the word needs to get out, so people know
about the opportunity.
9:35:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN shared her concern that Alaska is "behind
the curve," because the money for work ahead of the census needs
to be appropriated now rather than coming from the 2020 budget.
She said being frugal this year could cost the state 10 years of
federal contributions to Alaskans.
9:37:14 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JACKSON stated that federal dollars are
shrinking, as well; the state is not getting as much money to
complete the census as it used to receive. She said there are
communities in Alaska where people intentionally live off the
grid; therefore, she mused that USCB may need to hire "bounty
hunters" in order to count those people. She expressed her
thanks to the presenters.
9:38:31 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND expressed her appreciation that work is
being done with schools, because schools help with translation.
9:38:55 AM
MS. WOLF stated that the hope is to work directly with schools,
libraries, and Division of Elections translators.
9:39:12 AM
MS SCOVIC imparted that USCB has "partnership specialists" that
work in tribal and general areas to make connections with
"libraries and schools and all of that."
9:39:39 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY acknowledged the discussion related to
translation support for Alaska Native languages. She asked
whether she is correct in anticipating support would be needed
in urban centers for "a significant immigrant population."
9:39:51 AM
MS. WOLF responded, "That is correct."
9:39:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON offered his understanding that the [2000]
United States Census was the first in which USCB allowed
individuals to delineate mixed race, and he asked whether that
also was the first year that Alaska Native tribes were "part of
the Census accounting process."
9:40:19 AM
MR. HUNSINGER offered his understanding that USCB was working
with tribal governments prior to the 2000 United States Census,
but he said he would have to research and follow up with an
answer.
9:40:42 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON encouraged Mr. Hunsinger to return with
that information, as well as with information pertaining to the
American Census Survey or any other that help count Alaska
Native tribes to further the state's understanding of their
demographic profile.
MR. HUNSINGER responded that USCB works independently with
tribal governments. He acknowledged that the federal government
has fewer resources now, and he expressed gratitude for the work
of USCB nationally.
9:42:09 AM
MS. SCOVIC relayed that there had been discussion about adding a
question related to tribal enrollment on the 2020 United States
Census form; however, there was concern about the ambiguity of
the question. For example, it could be unclear whether tribal
identity meant someone is a shareholder of a regional
corporation, part of a regional corporation, or may list an
"ethnic connection." She said if various people answer the
question in different ways, then the data would become "very
messy." The Alaska Census Working Group pushed back against
adding that question before it has been tested as to its
helpfulness. The question will not be included on the 2020
United States Census form.
9:43:32 AM
MR. HUNSINGER said USCB has been meeting with tribal governments
and stakeholders on the subject.
9:43:44 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON pointed out that question nine on "the
Census test" asks the person to list his/her enrolled or
principle tribe. He remarked that that seems to contradict what
the speakers just said.
9:43:59 AM
MS. SCOVIC offered her understanding that "that is not actually
used in things like funding formulas." For example, the Indian
Housing Block Grant does not use that tribal identifier to shift
funding. She stated, "It's something that's included ... for,
sort of, census crosstabulations and trying to map that out but
is not actually driving funding allocations the way that having
a separate question, I think, would propose that it would. And
so, I think that's the piece that is different." She continued:
There are still a lot of questions and a lot of
outreach that we've identified around creating some
sort of fact sheet that helps people understand how
best to respond. So, that question's sort of an order
of operations of your regional corporation versus
whatever your, sort of, identifiers might be and how
you answer the tribal question on there, but ... it
doesn't carry the same weight.
MS. SCOVIC suggested Mr. Hunsinger could elaborate upon her
answer.
9:44:54 AM
MR. HUNSINGER stated that USCB must meet criteria related to
race and ethnicity, but it can also attempt to gather more
information that can be "useful for calculations throughout the
decade." He said there have been changes in questions
pertaining to race over the decades. He said, "This would have
been -- what they were thinking about doing was [a] separate,
additional question for tribal enrollment, and that's something
that, to my knowledge, is not in the plans anymore, at all."
9:45:47 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JACKSON asked whether the tribal funds are
federally funded based on population or are simply a set amount.
9:46:17 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY said, "That's going to change dependent on the
subject area that's being funded." She offered the following
explanation:
Tribal health funding is funded differently from
particular block grants for, say, Native American
housing, which is going to be different than social
service entities that provide support for nonprofit
tribal social service entities. So, it depends on
what avenue that funding is being funded through.
9:46:48 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY thanked the presenters.
9:47:16 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Tribal Affairs meeting was adjourned at
9:47 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|