Ohio Voters Show Strong Support of Official English Policy

Poll finds that more than three-in-four likely voters favor official English legislation

77 percent of likely voters in Ohio favor making English the official language of the state, according to a poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc., including 61 percent who strongly support such an effort. The survey found that the overwhelming majority of Ohio residents want the state to conduct business in English, including strong majorities within each political party and each section of the state. The survey of 625 likely voters was conducted Sept. 25-27, 2006 and has a margin of error of plus or minus four percent.

“Ohioans never want to live in an ‘English-only’ state, but they are equally opposed to an ‘English-optional’ state,” said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of U.S. English, Inc. “State residents expect that the government will put newcomers on the road to learning English, the most important tool for success in the United States. They are strongly in favor of policies consistent with that goal.”

Twice in the last 11 years, the Ohio House of Representatives has passed an official English bill. In this year’s session, Rep. Courtney Combs introduced H.B. 553, but it was not considered before the session ended. Combs’ effort marked the first time in six years where an official English bill had been introduced in Ohio.

Making English the official language of a state calls upon the government to conduct business in English and limit governmental multilingualism to common-sense exceptions such as health care, public safety, judicial proceedings and tourism. To date, 27 states have English as their official language, and H.R. 997, Congressional legislation promoting this policy at the federal level, has become one of the most widely supported bills in the 109th Congress.

“For more than 200 years, English has unified our diverse population,” added Mujica. “As our nation continues to be a melting pot for people from all over the world, English will continue to serve that role long into the future. I look forward to working with Ohio legislators to craft an official English policy that will benefit the Buckeye State for years to come.

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.