RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam says he's found $1.5 million in state money to spend on outreach efforts for the 2020 Census.
The Democratic governor announced Tuesday he's authorized using money from the state's Economic Contingency Fund for the census effort.
Earlier this year the Republican-led General Assembly rejected Northam's request that money be included in the state budget. But Northam's office said the funding was vital to ensure a complete count of historically "hard-to-count" populations during the next census.
Federal funding to the state for various programs is tied to census numbers. The George Washington Institute of Public Policy estimated that Virginia could lose $2,000 a year in federal funding for each person not counted.
Republican lawmakers did not immediately react to Northam's announcement.
