Newsletter Archive
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Census Data: A Public Good Under Threat
October 14, 2026by Lynda Kellam and Meeta AnandRead MoreLynda Kellam is Director of Research Data & Digital Scholarship at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries and co-Founder of the Data Rescue Project. Meeta Anand is Senior Director for Census and Data Equity at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
Most people don’t think much about the information that the federal government collects through the U.S. Census until it disappears. But when we lose census data, we lose irreplaceable, objective information that anyone can access and use, for free. And that equality of access is fundamental to the research community.
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Take Action! Decennial Census and More
October 06, 2026by Meghan MauryRead MoreCensus of the Decade: Decennial Census of the Population of Americans; Proposed Residence Criteria and Proposed Regulations for Demographic Questions. The Census Bureau is proposing sweeping changes to the 2030 Census that would fundamentally change both who is counted for political representation and what demographic information the census collects. Most significantly, Census would exclude from the population used to apportion seats in Congress anyone who is neither a U.S. citizen nor a lawful permanent resident, including undocumented migrants and many people lawfully living in the country on temporary statuses. Census would determine immigration status using administrative records from across the federal government and other sources and is also considering adding a legal-status question to the census questionnaire. The rule would separately prohibit the decennial census from asking about race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, eliminating the race and ethnicity data historically used for redistricting, civil-rights enforcement, research, and allocation of public resources. Census says it could continue collecting demographic information through the American Community Survey and obtaining it from administrative records. The proposal would also substantially increase Census's reliance on tax and other administrative records to determine where people should be counted.
Comments dueOctober 13November 2. For more info and resources to help write your comment, visit handsoffourcens.usEvery time the government makes a change to a survey or a form — or introduces a new survey or form — you have the right to weigh in on that decision. The Take Action! newsletter highlights surveys or forms the government is changing, renewing, or introducing. Click the links to tell the government what you think about the changes they are making.
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handsoffourcens.us Briefing This Wednesday: Analyzing 20,000+ Comments on the Proposed Census Rule
October 05, 2026Read MoreJoin handsoffourcens.us this Wednesday, October 7, at 3pm ET for our weekly briefing analyzing comments submitted on the proposed decennial census rule. We'll share our latest analysis of the 20,000+ comments published and break down key issues raised by stakeholders.
This week’s briefing will feature data policy and census experts, as well as special guest Sean Griffin, CEO and co-founder of PRATUS, who will discuss why census data are critical for crisis management.
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🚨 BREAKING: Census Comment Deadline Extended to November 2!
October 02, 2026Read MoreWhen the government proposes significant changes to federal regulations, the public needs adequate time to review the proposed changes and weigh in before new rules are finalized. That timeline is typically 60 or 90 days.
For the proposed decennial census rule, the initial public comment period was just 33 days, leaving insufficient time for Americans to parse the incredibly detailed proposal and its implications.
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Take Action! HEA Title II Report Cards on State Teacher Credentialing and Preparation and More
September 30, 2026by Meghan MauryRead MoreCollection of the Week: HEA Title II Report Cards on State Teacher Credentialing and Preparation. ED is revising the annual Title II reports used to collect and publish information about teacher preparation programs and state teacher credentialing systems. The reports collect information including teacher-preparation enrollment and demographics, completion rates, credentialing requirements and assessment pass rates, teacher shortages, and programs identified as low-performing. ED says the revision will remove several items it considers “no longer needed” and update reporting instructions to reflect the Department’s current organizational structure, but the notice does not identify which data elements are being eliminated.
Comments due October 20.Every time the government makes a change to a survey or a form — or introduces a new survey or form — you have the right to weigh in on that decision. The Take Action! newsletter highlights surveys or forms the government is changing, renewing, or introducing. Click the links to tell the government what you think about the changes they are making.