Originally published at: Missouri Dismissed Hail-Mary Lawsuit to Gain More Political Power, Confident Trump Admin Will Do What it Wants - TPM – Talking Points Memo
The state of Missouri early this year sued the Department of Commerce to force something that would have once been considered radical: That the federal government exclude certain immigrants from the population count when apportioning political power and distributing federal funds. Less than a year after the lawsuit was filed, however, the Census Bureau has…
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I can’t wait to see the tap dancing by the originalists on SCOTUS. Perfect time to bring back the Salem witch trials!
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Yay for counting chickens before they’re hatched, I guess. We need a corollary for Poe’s Law: are the GOP pols in Missouri as stupid as they appear or just supremely cynical in their specious arguments trying to subvert the constitution for political gain? And same for the Census Bureau folks who are trying to go along with it.
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¿Por que no los dos?
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Re-posting (from the article) the link to the Federal Register for the 30-day comment period on the proposed rule, “Decennial Census of the Population of Americans; Proposed Residence Criteria and Proposed Regulations for Demographic Questions.”
A Proposed Rule by the Census Bureau on 09/10/2026
I’ve submitted a comment on only one proposed rule since Trump II began, but it was in an area where I felt I had a little expertise or at least “lived experience,” as they say. But 30 days from September 10 leaves a lot of time for others who are in a position to make good comments on this subject to do so. Who knows, it might be material in some court case down the road, however dismissive the administration will be in the short term.
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Republicans have controlled the state for decades. And each year they have to come up with something more draconian than their predecessors. And I think that since we have term limits it means they have a small time to think of and execute their schemes.
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My comment:
The Constitution says: “…which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons,…” Not Citizens, not registered voters, not property holders, but free Persons, excluding to some degree African Americans (Slaves), and Native Americans (Indians).
The States have to know how many people live within their borders. Regardless of their “status” they use the resources of the state, travel their roads, drink their water, purchase their production, go to school. They provide labor, harvest crops, wait on tables, care for our elders, and so on.
The fact that the Founders had to agree on a compromise for the slave population, as deeply wrong and imperfect as it was, proves the point that the “enumeration” is meant to, indeed must, count everyone living within the state to properly apportion their representation in Congress and the Electoral College.
Changing the Enumeration to exclude non-citizens is a dangerous step. It will lead to millions of people being denied governmental support of the basics of life, liberty, and justice. States will be underfunded in addressing the needs of the people. People will still have needs, needs the States cannot financially meet. What will happen? Will the United States of America have refugee camps on the borders between States, between those that have lost their support through statistical manipulation, and those that have gained? Won’t people just move to States that have more resources per capita? Will we be creating a new Grapes of Wrath scenario all over the nation?
Is this what the Founders envisioned for our country?
I don’t think so. I think this is a bad idea that does not follow the Constitution, and will only cause harm and chaos among the several States, as it is nothing more than a solution in search of a non-existent problem.
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I guess those who live here after entering the country without inspection are no longer “persons.” Good to know. These people make me sick to my stomach, not immigrants, but ignorant bigots.
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Saw a vid awhile back (lost the link) with some Nebraska dairy farmer whining he can’t find workers.
“Who’s gonna milk my cows? I’ll go bankrupt!
You are buddy
Who do these wingnut racists think pick the crops, work the fields, mow the golf courses and other lawns, clean the offices and hospitals, slave in the kitchens of restaurants and fast food places, etc.? I was a busboy 50 years ago in a high end restaurant. Made good $$$ at $3 an hour in 1974. No thanks.
The landscapers at my condo place are all Hispantc. I don’t ask for their papers and they do a great job.
Gave them a case of beer a couple weeks ago when it was really hot