Appeals Judge Delays Order Releasing Revised California Census Figures
A federal appeals court judge has delayed a lower court’s order requiring the government to release revised California census figures to Democratic state legislators for use in reapportionment.
Judge Cynthia Holcomb Hall of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals granted a temporary stay of the order Thursday, a day after it was issued by a federal judge in Los Angeles.
Hall scheduled a hearing on extending the stay for Monday before a three-judge appellate panel.
The figures contained in the U.S. Census Bureau’s Post-Enumeration Survey indicate that the nation has 5 million more people than were counted in the official 1990 census. The survey shows that California has an additional 1 million people.
Commerce Secretary Robert Mosbacher has refused to use the revised figures for any state, saying that they are less accurate than the original data.
But Democrats have accused Mosbacher, an appointee of President Bush, of trying to protect Republicans during the reapportionment process by undercounting minorities.
Democrats have led a lawsuit seeking the revised data for drawing new boundaries for legislative, congressional and Board of Equalization districts. The suit is scheduled for legislative action next month.
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