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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 23 september 2020

With 95% homes hit, feds say no need for census extension

By MIKE SCHNEIDER preme Court for fast action
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — With on its appeal.
the number of U.S. house- Before the coronavirus
holds counted topping pandemic hit in March, the
95%, there is no reason bureau had planned to
for a judge to order the complete the 2020 census
U.S. Census Bureau to ex- by the end of July. In re-
tend by a month the head sponse to the pandemic,
count of every U.S. resident, it extended the deadline
government attorneys said to the end of October.
in court papers Tuesday. That changed to the end
"Plaintiffs' claims of harm of September after the Re-
in this matter are rapidly publican-controlled Senate
evaporating," the govern- failed to take up a request
ment attorneys said ahead from the Census Bureau to
of a virtual court hearing in extend the deadline for
San Jose, California, over turning over the numbers
whether the 2020 census used for apportionment. As
should stop Sept. 30 or con- a result, government attor-
tinue through Oct. 31. neys say the Census Bureau
A coalition of cities, coun- has no choice but to finish
ties and civil rights groups the count by Sept. 30.
is suing the Census Bureau The census helps determine
and the Department of how $1.5 trillion in federal
Commerce in an effort to U.S. Census Director Steven Dillingham speaks as he joins Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey as they hold spending is distributed an-
a news conference to urge Arizonans to participate in the nation's once-a-decade census popu-
extend the 2020 census for lation count Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Phoenix. nually and how many con-
another month. They said in Associated Press gressional seats each state
court papers Tuesday that gets.
the decision to shorten the for us." either a mental deficiency President Donald Trump. In their court papers Tues-
schedule was forced on "And this means it is ludi- or a political motivation," The order tried to exclude day, the government at-
the bureau. Bureau officials crous to think we can com- Olson said. people in the country ille- torneys, supported by a
knew the shortened sched- plete 100% of the nation's The judge in the San Jose gally from being included declaration from a Census
uled would risk accuracy in data collection earlier than case earlier this month is- in the numbers used for de- Bureau associate director,
the count and "was impos- 10/31 ..." Olson said in the sued a temporary restrain- ciding how many congres- said the census operations
sible to do right." email that was released ing order prohibiting the sional seats each state gets were being harmed by
In an internal email sent to into the court record Tues- Census Bureau from wind- in a process known as ap- the temporary restraining
other top Census Bureau of- day. ing down 2020 census oper- portionment. order. The order prevent-
ficials in late July, Tim Olson, "Anyone who thinks that ations until she could issue A three-judge panel in ed operations from wind-
associate director for field the Census Bureau can turn a ruling. Plaintiffs in the San New York blocked Trump's ing down in areas almost
operations, said the bureau in numbers used for figuring Jose case allege the deci- directive earlier this month, completely counted so the
was having trouble deploy- out how many congressio- sion to shorten the sched- saying it was unlawful. The most successful census tak-
ing census takers because nal seats each state gets ule was made to accom- Trump administration ion ers can focus on the hard-
"people are afraid to work by the end of the year "has modate a directive from Tuesday asked the Su- est cases. they said.q

Bill to end mandatory jail time for assaults on police fails

By DENISE LAVOIE The bill would have kept the minimum sentence. Instead, the charged under the statute.
Associated Press charge as a felony, but would bill was designed to make a dis- The committee approved Bourne's
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia have given a judge or jury discre- tinction between serious assaults suggestion that the bill be referred
lawmakers on Tuesday killed leg- tion to reduce it to a misdemeanor and minor assaults, he said. to the Virginia State Crime Com-
islation that called for eliminating if there was no bodily injury to the The legislation is one of dozens mission for study, effectively end-
mandatory jail time for assaulting officer or if someone's culpability of bills taken up during a special ing its chances for passage during
a police officer, a bill that drew was minimal because of dimin- legislative session focused on po- the special session.
heated opposition from Republi- ished physical or mental capacity lice and criminal justice reforms Surovell said he is likely to reintro-
cans who said it would send the or a developmental disorder. sparked by the killing of George duce the bill next year. He cited
wrong message at a time when The legislation also would have Floyd while in police custody in cases when the assault charge
law enforcement has come un- required an investigation by a dif- Minnesota and a national protest was brought even though the offi-
der attack during nationwide ferent police officer and approval movement. cers involved did not receive any
protests over police brutality and by a prosecutor if charged as a Republican Del. Ronnie Camp- bodily injury, including the case
racial injustice. felony. bell said the legislation sends the of a woman with mental health
The bill proposed by Democratic Surovell and other critics of the wrong message to the public. issues who was arrested after she
Sen. Scott Surovell passed the current law say police use the "I'm concerned that this bill will threw a styrofoam food container
Senate last month, but was reject- charge too often, particularly in basically declare open season on and a piece of an onion ring hit
ed Tuesday after several Demo- cases involving excessive force. police officers," Campbell said. an officer in the arm.
crats on the House Courts of Jus- Surovell said his bill was not aimed Del. Jeff Bourne, D-Richmond, "The idea you could go to jail for
tice Committee raised concerns at addressing serious physical as- said he was concerned that the six months for a loose onion ring,
about how certain terms were saults on police, which can be legislation didn't include special a little water on your shoes, or an
defined in the bill and whether ju- prosecuted under the state's mali- provisions for juveniles after a chil- autistic person having a tick is just
veniles should be exempted from cious wounding law, a crime that dren's advocate suggested they an incredibly mindboggling out-
the charge. carries a two-year mandatory should be excluded from being come — not fair or just," he said.q