News & Media

February 2010 - November 2009

February 2010 - November 2009

Many state legislatures have returned to session, including several where official English related measures have been introduced. As of Feb. 1, legislators in 16 states have introduced bills to make English the official language of the state or reduce government multilingualism.

Tennessee Senator Bill Ketron has introduced legislation that would require all prospective motorists in Tennessee to take the driver’s license exam in English, making the roads safer and saving taxpayer money. Under S.B. 2660, all written examinations would be in English, tying the privilege of driving with the societal expectation that non-English speakers are on the road to learning English.

A New Haven business owner has asked his employees to speak English while in front of customers. Tim Schultz, U.S. English Director of Government Relations discusses this recent news story.

Four legislators introduced a measure to make English the official language of West Virginia last week, improving the potential for passage of official English legislation in several states this year. Delegates Lynwood Ireland, Bill Hamilton, William Romine and Carol Miller have proposed H.B. 2106, which would declare English as the official language of the state and clarify that state agencies are not required to provide information in languages other than English, except where required by existing law.

Florida representative Jeff Miller became the newest co-sponsor of H.R. 997 yesterday, increasing the number of co-sponsors of legislation to make English the official language to 131.

The new year opens with many prospects on the official English front, both in Congress and state legislatures. In addition to measures already pending, a number of legislators plan to introduce new bills, and multiple opportunities could arise in Congress to reduce multilingualism. Before the year is out, Oklahomans will vote on official English and U.S. citizens in every state will cast ballots for the members of the 112th Congress.

Missouri Representative Cynthia Davis has pre-filed legislation in Missouri that would eliminate driver’s license exams in languages other than English. House Bill 1231 would require that all applicants for a Missouri driver’s license take the exam in English without the use of a language interpreter.

Congress is at it again – attempting to allow the federal government to force private companies to conduct business in languages other than English.

U.S. English Director of Government Relations Tim Schultz discusses the importance of requiring prospective motorists to take the exam in English, including parallels to other requirements states make for would-be drivers.

At the end of last week, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced that the administration would pursue immigration reform legislation in 2010. In her speech, Napolitano reiterated that under the plan promoted by the administration, illegal immigrants would have to register, pay fines and all taxes they owe, pass a criminal background check and learn English.

As an organization which counts tens of thousands of veterans in our ranks, and as the children, grandchildren  and parents of immigrants ourselves, U.S. English, Inc. wishes to thank all of the men and women who have protected our country and preserved our freedoms.

Those who have served in the military understand the importance of effective communication; the battlefield is no place for misunderstandings. During its long and illustrious history, the armed forces have been our most notable melting pot, bringing together individuals from different backgrounds for the same purpose – protecting our country.