By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – Census experts say Alabama is not expected to gain or lose a congressional seat in the 2010 U.S. Census and the racial makeup of the state legislature is likely to remain the same.
Alabama legislators received a briefing Tuesday on what to expect after the United States recounts its citizens in 2010 as required by the U.S. Constitution.
A former top official with the U.S. Justice Department, John Tanner, told lawmakers the state has grown steadily from 4.4 million residents to about 4.6 million residents since the 2000 Census. He said the growth is not enough to allow the state to gain a Congressional seat, but should allow Alabama to retain its current seven districts.
Tanner warned legislators that federal funding is based on Census figures and that the state stands to lose millions of dollars if its population is undercounted.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)