Bellone named to state commission on census

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone was named Monday as a member of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s commission to press for a complete count when the U.S. Census take place in 2020.

Bellone is one of  an eight-member group, led by Rossana Rosado, New York’s secretary of state, and James Malatras, president of the Rockefeller Institute of  Government.

The group will be charged with preparing the state to assure there’s a robust effort to press for a full count of under-represented groups — those who live in rural and rural areas, children under five, immigrants, minorities and those who live in poverty. The effort is particularly important, backers say, because of Trump administration's efforts to force immigrants to identify themselves.

The commission will be charged with holding hearings, getting public input and developing an action plan for getting non-government organizations involved in getting people counted.