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Committee focusing on getting complete count in 2020 census Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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This week Sunday sit down right here with Melissa Lee lon Melissa is with the Arkansas coalition of Marshall Lee's I Melissa, we understand you have a new position. Tell us about that position. Yes, I do so. I recently I was assigned and appointed as one of the members of the, the governor's census Planning Committee, and really my role there. We just had our first meeting about a week ago, and we were governor's census Planning Committee, and really my role there. We just had our first meeting about a week ago, and we were told that our role is just really to raise awareness to to the maximum, how to add the state of Arkansas of, you know, the census and do a lot more outreach and try to, especially those try to reach those population, and those in those areas that are kind of what we call hard to count areas. Marshall these population, hard to count area, why is that it could be is for many reasons. Number one that I can think abou is cultural differences there's certainly a big gap there. In this is you you you really dealing with with folks that perhaps are not used used to the the American ways, and they're not sometime not forthcoming. Because it could be because of a lot of things. I, it could be they're not comfortable with the people they're working with, with providers or even, you know they're not, they're having issues with language access, stuff like that. And it also because this census This is going to be different because I think this is going to be our first time, where we actually do online, fill out forms online so a lot of, a lot of people are not really comfortable with with the computer usage so that could be another factor that plays into it. Why is it so important though for people to fill out the census and accurately. Oh, for many reasons for sure. The first one that they come into my mind and I can think about it now is you estate really need an accurate count of how many people actually live in that stat For one, you need to know how many representatives that you need to have at the house. So that's one and for two. You know, every every person that you are you losing, and you not counting you losing money so really the state is losing out a lot. I don't know the exact data, the exact value of one count. But if you just want count alone that's that's that's the money that's that's, that is a creative value to that and there's you losing a lot of money and that money is not coming to the stat So basically, your role is to encourage and outreach to the Marshall Lee's population but really it applies to everyone. We need to get everyone out there. Exactly, exactly. And we encourage people. If you need help with census, we're always available. And I think they're, you know, we're very, very the state is really proactive on, on this census, and I think for the reason that we know there's been an influx of migration, not just within the United States people are moving to Arkansas, but also people are moving from other countries to Arkansas as well. Arkansas has really, it's been a really, a place for folks who moving because you can really find a, find a job. The next day you come in you find a job the next day I'll find a apartment next day so yeah people are making that migration so it's very important that everyone could count it. Okay, thank you so much. We'll hear, we'll be hearing more on the census coming up thank you so much Melissa for joining us today. Thank yo