The House approved a measure today, which I opposed, that will adjust the Census data and count those in custody of the Dept. of Corrections (DOC) in the community that they originally resided, not where the correctional institution is located. Historically, we have not adjusted census data because it is important for many reasons, like allocating funding, and dictating voting districts. While it was made clear to me during the debate that this bill is not intended to redirect government spending, but it will readjust voting districts.
Unfortunately, for those incarcerated without the possibility of parole, there is no protection to ensure they are represented at the state level. I put forth an amendment that would address that issue, expanding the underlying bill to include this population, but it failed on party lines.
It’s disappointing that the other side of the aisle was unwilling to incorporate a common-sense change, which would have strengthened the intent of the policy change. As a result of the action taken today, some individuals who are incarcerated will be afforded political representation and others won’t. If we are going to make a change, it should apply to all individuals within the DOC equally.
