News & Media

July 2008 - March 2008

July 2008 - March 2008

Efforts to make English the official language of the United States received a boost this week when three members of Congress added their support as co-sponsors of H.R. 997, the English Language Unity Act. The affirmations by Rep. Henry Brown, Jr., Rep. Jack Kingston and Rep. Jon Porter push the total number of bi-partisan co-sponsors of the measure to 152.

At a town hall meeting in Georgia, presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama told an audience that, “you need to make sure that your child can speak Spanish.” Speaking in Powder Springs, Ga., the Illinois Senator said that the nation’s chief priority should not be for immigrants to learn English, but for American children to learn Spanish.

A year after the Nashville Mayor vetoed efforts to make English the official language of the city, Councilman Eric Crafton is leading the charge to put the measure on the general election ballot in November.

A new poll released by Quinnipiac University reveals that 85 percent of Ohioans support making English the official language of the state. Less than a month after the Ohio House of Representatives approved legislation that would make the state the 31st to adopt official English, the survey demonstrates that Ohio voters fully support the actions of the legislature.

The Ohio House of Representatives voted today to make English the official language of the state. By a vote of 54-42, the House passed H.B. 477, marking the first time the Ohio House has approved an official English bill since 1998. The measure now goes to the Senate for consideration.

In a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol today, U.S. English, Inc. presented 130 members of Congress with “A in English” awards for their efforts to promote English as the unifying language of the United States. The recipients, who represent 37 states and both sides of the political aisle, were recognized by U.S. English, Inc. Chairman Mauro E. Mujica.

The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed S.B. 163 yesterday, putting the Sooner State one step closer to becoming the 31st state to unify under the common language of English. By a vote of 70-28, the House voted to send the measure to the Senate. If passed there, it would be presented to the voters on the November general election ballot.

Colorado Senator Dave Schulteis introduced legislation yesterday that would strengthen the state’s official English law. Senate Concurrent Resolution 6 proposes an amendment to the state Constitution that would declare English the state’s official language and require the overwhelming majority of state activities be conducted in English, with exceptions for areas such as public health, judicial proceedings, and foreign language instruction. The measure provides that final approval of the statute be conducted through a general ballot initiative.

Rep. Paul Broun introduced legislation today to make English the national language of the United States and clarify that there is no affirmative right to receive government services in languages other than English, except where required by federal law. Broun was joined by 26 other Representatives in introducing H.R. 5759, English as the Official Language Act of 2008. The bill has been assigned to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

Iowa District Court Judge Douglas Staskal ruled today that the Iowa Secretary of State violated the state’s official English law by providing voter registration materials in foreign languages. The decision, in a case brought by U.S. English, U.S. Representative Steve King and eight Iowa citizens, including four County Auditors against Secretary of State Michael E. Mauro, represented the first legal test of official English legislation this decade.

Luzerne County [Pa.] Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. made headlines this week for ordering three Spanish speaking men to learn English or serve out their sentences in jail. The three men, who pled guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery on Tuesday, will be required to return in one year to take an English test. If they fail the test, the judge has told them that their parole will be revoked and they will be imprisoned.

The U.S. Senate voted 54-44 today to eliminate funding for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to prosecute English-in-the-Workplace lawsuits and instead use that money to increase funding for adult English classes.