Arizona Senate Approves Official English Bill; Measure Now Goes to Voters

Citizens of Arizona will get final say on the matter in November

The Arizona Senate approved H.C.R. 2036 by an 18-11 margin last week, giving Arizona voters a chance to make English the official language of the state. The measure, which earlier passed the House 34-22, will now appear on the Nov. 7 general election ballot.

“As Americans nationwide call for their elected leaders to make English the official language, I am pleased to see that the Arizona legislature is putting the decision in the hands of the people,” said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of the Board of U.S. English, Inc. “Arizona may be an incredibly diverse state, but its people are nearly united in the belief that English is the language of opportunity and growth. I want to congratulate Representative Russell Pearce and his colleagues for their effort to get this measure on the ballot.

Passage of H.C.R. 2036 marks the second time in Arizona, and the eighth nationwide, where voters have been given the choice to make English the language of a state. Though the 1988 Arizona initiative was struck down by the state Supreme Court, the other bills remain law in Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida and Utah. In addition, 21 other states have recognized English as their official language through legislative means.

In 2005, the House and Senate both passed legislation that would have made English the official language of Arizona. Despite widespread support among Arizonans, Gov. Napolitano vetoed the measure that May. A follow-up survey found that a majority of Arizona residents disagreed with the governor’s veto action, and in 2006, a Zogby poll found that more than 80 percent of Arizonans supported efforts to make English the official language of the state.

“Arizona residents are asking that the government serve a unifying role in society, not a divisive one,” continued Mujica. “To reach that goal, they are looking for leaders who will put an emphasis on our common language. Now that the legislature has answered the call, I look forward to seeing this initiative succeed in November and watching Arizona usher in a new era, one where the accent is on unity and success.”

U.S. English, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest non-partisan citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States. Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California, U.S. English, Inc. (www.usenglish.org) now has more than 1.8 million members.