The Montana Department of Commerce and the State Complete Count Committee are urging every Montanan to respond to the 2020 Census before the end of the day on Thursday, October 15.

Governor Steve Bullock and Lt. Governor Mike Cooney released the following statements after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision allowing the U.S. Census Bureau to suspend its 2020 Census counting operations before October 31 until further court action, creating additional uncertainty. Responding to the unprecedented impacts of COVID-19, the U.S. Census Bureau set October 31 as the deadline for the 2020 Census. The Bureau later reversed course and cut short the deadline, spurring two months of court battles to extend the count.

The Montana Department of Commerce and the State Complete Count Committee are reminding Montanans that there is still time to respond to the 2020 Census.

Governor Steve Bullock and Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney applauded a decision by a U.S. District Court yesterday evening to extend the deadline for the 2020 Census to allow more time for a complete count of Montana’s residents and announced additional funding for Census outreach.

The Montana Department of Commerce today launched the 2020 Census State Championship to encourage counties and tribes in Montana to compete for the highest increase in self-response rates to the 2020 Census from now until September 30. With only 15 days left in the 2020 Census count, the Commerce Department and the Montana Complete Count Committee are urging every Montana resident to respond to the 2020 Census before the shortened deadline of September 30.

With 30 days left to count residents in the 2020 Census, the Montana Department of Commerce and State Complete Count Committee are urging every Montanan who has not yet responded to the Census to do so before September 30.

Governor Steve Bullock today, in recognition of Women’s Equality Day, renewed his equal pay Executive Order and extended the Equal Pay for Equal Work Task Force through 2022 to continue its work to narrow the wage gap.

Lieutenant Governor Mike Cooney joined a dedication ceremony this afternoon to celebrate the completed construction of six new affordable Habitat for Humanity homes at Mountain View Meadows in Helena. The dedication honored the work of the six “owner-builder” families and others who have worked to complete the homes.

GREAT FALLS – Lt. Governor Mike Cooney today visited the Great Falls Public Library to see firsthand how the library is continuing to provide essential services to the public, including serving as a 2020 Census Be Counted Site and utilizing a $10,000 state Coronavirus Relief Fund grant to create a drive thru window to ensure Montanans have access to library services while minimizing the risk of spreading COVID-19.

More than half of Montana households have now self-responded to the 2020 Census, yet the state still lags behind the national average for responding to the once-in-a-decade count.