Arizona Official English Bill Approved by House

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Arizona Official English Bill Approved by House; If Passed by Senate
Decision Would be in Voters Hands in November

3/23/2006 6:29:00 PM


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Contact: Rob Toonkel of U.S. English, 202-833-0100

WASHINGTON, March 23 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Led by Rep. Russell Pearce, the
Arizona House affirmed the importance of a common language by passing HCR
2036, a bill that would allow the citizens of Arizona to vote on making
English the official language of the state. The measure, approved today by
a margin of 34-22 in the House, now goes to the Senate for consideration.
If passed, the citizens of Arizona would cast their vote on the ballot in
November. "The Arizona House deserves commendation for their efforts on
behalf of the people," said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of the Board of U.S.
English, Inc. "As the state becomes more and more diverse, the need grows
for a sensible language policy that unites all Arizonans under our common
language - English. We commend Representative Pearce and his colleagues
for their forward thinking effort." Passage of HCR 2036 would mark the
second time in Arizona, and the eighth nationwide, where voters have been
given the choice to make English the language of a state. Though the 1988
Arizona initiative was struck down by the state Supreme Court, the other
bills remain law in Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida and
Utah.

Last year, the House and Senate both passed legislation that would have
made English the official language of Arizona. Despite the support of more
than two-thirds of Arizonans according to a 2005 poll conducted by
KAET-TV/Channel 8 and Arizona State University, Gov. Napolitano vetoed the
measure in May. A follow- up survey by the same organizations found that a
majority of Arizonans disagreed with the governor's veto action. "The
initiative process exists so that the voters can overcome the reluctance
of their political leaders on the issues that matter most,"  continued
Mujica. "Arizonans continue to ask that the state place its emphasis on
our common language and not continue a divisive multilingual trend. The
voters have a reasonable expectation that they will either be given a
chance to have their voices heard, or remove the legislators who stood in
the way. I look forward to quick Senate consideration and passage of this
bill.

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U.S. English, Inc. is the nation's oldest, largest 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, U.S.
English, Inc. now has more than 1.8 million members nationwide, including
more than 45,000 in Arizona.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=62860