South Central Reporter

Illinois state Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) does not want to leave a single stone unturned with regard to the state's crucial 2020 U.S. Census count.

“The census every 10 years impacts how tax dollars are allocated in many programs based on population,” Wilhour said in a press release. “The allocation of congressional districts is determined by how many citizens we have in Illinois versus the rest of the nation, and with the out-migration we have experienced over the past several years from bad economic policies and over-taxing our families and job creators, we need to be sure we have an accurate count.”

Through the 2020 Census Grant Program, up to $20 million has been allocated for outreach efforts through 12 Regional Intermediaries (RI). The RI can be a community organization or a local government entity with the “capacity to provide coordination of education, outreach and survey assistance services” to the public.

“The 2020 Census will be the first to rely primarily on online responses, so people with limited Internet access are also at risk of not being counted,” Wilhour said. “The counties in our area fall into two different regions: Southeast Central including Effingham, Fayette and Marion Counties; and Southwest Central including Bond and Clinton Counties.”

With some forecasting that Illinois could lose as many as two U.S. House of Representative seats as a result of the 2020 count, based on the state's dwindling population, the stakes are high. Earlier this year, the state fell behind Pennsylvania and out of the top five most populated states in the country.

Wilhour is encouraging residents to go to the Department of Human Services website to begin the process of gaining assistance.