Bill calls for English in state proceedings
By Marc Kovac
The legislation includes a number of exemptions in which other language could be used.
COLUMBUS — An Ohio House committee signed off on legislation requiring government activities to be conducted in English, and the bill has garnered the support of that chamber’s Republican leader.
“No matter what your opinion is on immigration, people know that nations are unified by a common language, that you need to know the language of a nation that you are living in if you want to be successful socially and economically,” Speaker Jon Husted, a Republican from Kettering, told reporters following Tuesday’s floor session in response to a question about House Bill 477. “And this is a statement of relative consensus that that’s important to have in our state.”
The bill is sponsored by Rep. Robert Mecklenborg, a Republican from the Cincinnati area. It would require English to be used during meetings involving public bodies, including state, county, township, city and school district-related boards, commissions and committees. All policies issued, records created or other action also would have to be in English.
The legislation includes a number of exemptions in which other language could be used, including instances involving public health, safety and welfare, foreign language instruction or tourism promotion.
The bill also includes provisions prohibiting public agencies from denying employment to individuals solely because they lack foreign language skills and requires those groups to break out budget line items for funds dedicated to language translation.
HB 477 was subject to four hearings before the House’s State Government and Elections Committee.
In previous weeks, opponents, including representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Latino Affairs
Commission, said the legislation is unnecessary, threatens civil and human rights of non-English-speaking citizens, would deter residents from learning other languages and would hurt the state’s economic development efforts.
On Tuesday, members added one amendment, allowing the Latino Affairs Commission to respond to correspondence in other languages (though requiring records of that correspondence to include English translations).
Lawmakers, on a party-line vote, quashed an amendment offered by Elyria Democrat Matt Lundy to establish an Ohio English First Program to teach the language, with appropriations of $500,000 for fiscal 2009.
The committee unanimously recommended consideration of the legislation by the full chamber, which could vote on it before breaking for the summer.
“I believe that this is something that there is broad support on,” Husted said.
mkovac@dixcom.com