Colorado Springs Rep. Dave Schultheis targets Spanish language

[Harold F. Schiffman]

April 21, 2006

Schultheis targets Spanish language
Ban on books, forms unlikely to advance

By KYLE HENLEY - THE GAZETTE

DENVER - A Colorado Springs lawmaker is proposing a constitutional
amendment that would bar the state from providing anything in Spanish.
House Concurrent Resolution 1008 by Rep. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado
Springs, was introduced Thursday. In addition to prohibiting the state
from printing any forms in Spanish, it would ban foreign-language books in
libraries and public schools. Im having more and more constituents coming
to me and asking why everything is in two languages anymore, Schultheis
said. We cannot become a two-language nation. It becomes a divisive issue.
We cant move that direction. It is not healthy. I see this as a midcourse
correction.

Because it is a constitutional amendment, HCR1008 must have the support of
two-thirds of the members of the House and Senate to be placed on the
statewide ballot in November. The measure has been assigned to the House
State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. Critics say the measure is
dead on arrival and will not get enough votes to even pass out of
committee. What? Is he going to change my name? said Rep. Val Vigil,
D-Denver. Its just crazy to me. Every sign that is out there would have to
be changed.  It is just mean-spirited to me. HCR1008 is part of Schultheis
bid to crack down on illegal immigration in Colorado. Its the topic to
which hes devoted almost all of his legislative energy during the 2006
General Assembly session. Before the session began, Schultheis joined
members of the Minutemen group in Arizona in patrolling the border to
deter illegal immigrants.

Though none of his bills is still alive, there are eight bills moving
forward aimed at curbing illegal immigration. Senate Bill 206 would make
it a felony to smuggle an undocumented alien into Colorado, and Senate
Bill 225 would create a new division within the Colorado State Patrol
charged with enforcing immigration laws. The package of bills that is
advancing has broad bipartisan support in the Democraticled Statehouse.
Most of the bills, in fact, are sponsored by Republicans. House Speaker
Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, said he had not had enough time to digest
HCR1008 to determine whether it will become part of the General Assemblys
response to the immigration issue.

He said, however, that he understands the sentiments behind the measure. I
think kids ought to learn English, he said. But I think the nation
benefits from other races and other cultures. Id like to learn Spanish,
and Id like to revive some of my French. The gist of the legislative
immigration package, Romanoff said, is to get Congress to enact some kind
of meaningful immigration reform. Immigration policy and border security
are mostly federal matters. A proposal for immigration reform that would
create a guest-worker program, and that would allow some of the estimated
12 million illegal immigrants in the nation to seek citizenship recently
stalled in the U.S.  Senate.

What most of these resolutions suggest is the underlying frustration with
Washingtons failure to address the issue, he said. D.C. just keeps
dithering. Schultheis said he also plans to introduce another resolution
that would require Coloradans to show proof of citizenship to register to
vote.  Similar legislation was defeated this year in the Colorado Senate.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 1-303-837-0613 or kyle.henley at gazette.com
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