Members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives voted today to make English the official language of state government.Senate Bill 163, by state Reps. Randy Terrill and George Faught and Sen. Owen Laughlin (R-Woodward), would put the English question to a statewide vote next November. The proposed constitutional amendment would make English the official language of state government in Oklahoma.
"Because it is our common American language, English and the 'melting pot' process it supports has made the United States the most successful multi-ethnic nation in the history of the world," said Terrill, R-Moore.
"Unfortunately, that priceless inheritance is now under attack by those who would divide America into separate communities that do not share a common language and have little in common except geographic location. Senate Bill 163 will help preserve the unity that has made our country great."
"In this country, we have common laws, a common currency, and a common language that helps to unite us," said Faught, R-Muskogee. "Our government should encourage immigrants to assimilate so they can access the American dream. Delaying or impeding efforts to help immigrants become fluent in English condemns them to a lower-income life in the shadows of our society."
More than 30 states have already approved official English laws and so have more than 50 nations around the globe.
Although critics have dismissed the need to make English the official language of the state, Terrill noted national trends suggest otherwise. For example, the town of El Cenizo, Texas, once adopted an ordinance making Spanish its official language instead of English. The federal government is suing the Salvation Army for requiring its employees to speak English on the job, and the City of Philadelphia's Commission on Human Relations charged the owner of a "Philly cheesesteak" take-out restaurant with "discrimination" for posting a sign asking his customers to please order in English.
Closer to home, the federal government has launched an investigation of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety over allegations the agency violated the civil rights of two Iranian immigrants by not having written driver's license exams in Farsi.
"I think the American people have good reason to think the demand to accommodate other languages is getting out of hand, and that it is time to do something about it," Terrill said.
The legislation's most obvious impact would be the elimination of multilingual driver's license exams, multilingual state signs, and government agency telephone recordings in other languages.
"No longer would the Oklahoma government be burdened with providing taxpayer funded services in any language other than English," Faught said. "If we fail to make English our official language, the state will face a growing cost and administrative burden providing services in the 300 plus languages the Census Bureau says are spoken in the United States."
Under the provisions of Senate Bill 163, private individuals and businesses would still be allowed to use whatever language they choose.
The bill also contains exemptions for the languages of Oklahoma's 39 federally recognized Native American tribes and allows the use of both Braille and sign language in government services. The legislation also contains a number of other specific, narrowly tailored exceptions for things like public health and safety, as well as trade, commerce and tourism.
Terrill said immigrants would enjoy the greatest benefit from an "official English" law.
"Census data shows that learning to speak English is a near guarantee that immigrants will increase their earning power," Terrill said. "This bill will improve the lives of immigrants, foster better relations between all citizens, and grow our economy."
Senate Bill 163 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on a 70-28 vote and now returns to the state Senate for approval.
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