Washington State Legislators Introduce Official English Legislation

If successful, voters would get ultimate say in November

Washington, D.C. -- Legislators in Washington State have introduced a House Resolution to give the voters of the Evergreen State the opportunity to enact English as the state's official language at the ballot box. H.J.R. 4219, introduced by Representatives Jim McCune, Jim Dunn and John Ahern on Jan. 30, would give voters the option of amending the state's constitution to declare English the official language of the state in Nov. 2007. If enacted, Washington will join the 28 states that have already adopted official English legislation.

"A government that governs best is one that leads people toward self-sufficiency and success, instead of keeping them trapped by linguistic isolation," said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of the Board of U.S. English, Inc. "If we wish to be a truly vibrant and diverse society, then we must ensure that we maintain a common language through which we may share ideas. Washington has long been one of the most diverse states in the nation, but the numbers of those who are unable to join in the discussion has been increasing at an alarming rate."

Of the 28 states that have made English their official language, seven enacted the legislation through popular vote. Last November, a measure to make English the official language of Arizona passed with the support of nearly 75 percent of the vote. Exit polls showed that the measure was approved by a majority of the members of all political parties, as well as half of the Hispanic voters.

With the introduction of H.J.R. 4219, Washington becomes the 14th state to have an official English measure pending in 2007. Legislators in Connecticut, Kansas, New Jersey, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon, and West Virginia have already introduced bills to make English the official language of the state while measures in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and South Carolina will strengthen existing official English laws if enacted into law. In addition, legislators in several other states are expected to introduce official English bills in the coming weeks.

"As November's vote in Arizona reminded us, Americans overwhelmingly support making English the official language," added Mujica. "I am pleased to see that these forward-thinking legislators are going to give Washington residents a chance to put their feelings to a vote."

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.