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Nashville Voters Preparing to Override Mayor on Official English
Initiative needs 10,400 signatures to be placed on November ballot
| For Immediate Release |
June 18, 2008
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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.
The petition circulating among Davidson County voters would make English the official language of Davidson County and the City of Nashville and require English as the language of official government actions and publications. The proposed amendment exempts government actions covered by state and federal law, such as emergency services. If the initiative receives 10,400 signatures, it will be placed on the Nov. 4 ballot for a final decision by the voters.
In Feb. 2007, the Nashville City Council gave third and final approval to a measure that would have made English the official language of the city. Despite the strong support of the council, the measure was vetoed by Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell.
Recent polls have shown strong nationwide support for official English legislation, with 83 percent of respondents in a 2007 Zogby poll indicating that they believe English should be made the official language of the United States. Strong majority support has also been noted among nearly every demographic group, including Democrats, Republicans, Independents, immigrants and Hispanics.
“The initiative process exists so that one individual cannot stand in the way of the desire a majority of the population,” said U.S. English, Inc. Chairman Mauro E. Mujica. “In Arizona, the governor vetoed an official English bill despite strong statewide support in 2005, but voters passed it by a 3-to-1 margin on the 2006 ballot. I want to thank Councilman Crafton and the other leaders of this effort for their tireless dedication to ensuring that English continues to be the unifying language of our diverse population.”
To date, 30 states and more than 100 counties, cities and towns have made English the official language of government.
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.
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