Juneau -- The Alaska House Thursday approved a measure requiring a "true headcount" of Alaskans when the U.S. Bureau of the Census does the 2000 Census. Senate Joint Resolution 8 passed both the House and the Senate and now will be sent to the United States Congress.

"SJR 8 is a resolution urging Congress and the Census Bureau to do an actual nose count in Alaska instead of a statistical guess of how many Alaskans live here," said Senator Jerry Ward (R-Anchorage / Kenai).

"The problem with guessing how many people are in Alaska, is that we lose the one person, one vote concept," said Ward. "Numbers can be artificially exaggerated and disrupt representation on the local, state and national levels".

"Additionally census figures are used to determine funding levels and could cost local municipalities revenues which could result in higher local taxes," said Ward. "While an accurate census may not seem important to the average Alaskan, when you look at the possible misrepresentation in government and the possible increase in taxes, its very important to the average guy in the street,"

The Census Bureau plans on using random sampling techniques or other statistical methods instead of an 'actual enumeration,' meaning a physical head count of the population. A random sampling technique or other statistical methods of census could raise serious issues of vote dilution and violate 'one person, one vote' legal protections. It could expose the state to protracted and costly litigation over redistricting, and ultimately result in a court ruling invalidating the redistricting plan disrupting the election process in Alaska.

SJR 8 opposes the use of P.L. 94-171 data for state legislative redistricting based on census figures determined in whole or part by the use of statistical inferences derived by means of random sampling techniques. The measure also opposes any other statistical methodologies that add or subtract persons, and are not based on a physical head count.

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