LEGISLATORS PUSHING ENGLISH AS `OFFICIAL' LANGUAGE

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Legislators from Southeast Missouri say they are optimistic the General Assembly will pass a law this year designating English as the official language of Missouri.

Sen. Danny Staples, D-Eminence, and Rep. Larry Thomason, D-Kennett, are handling identical bills in their respective chambers that would enable Missouri to join 18 other states designating an official language.

"We have a state rock, a state flower, a state tree, a state instrument, I think it is very important that we have a state language, the U.S. English," declared Staples.

"We have an opportunity to deal with a serious social policy question before an atmosphere of emotionalism and crisis develops," added Thomason.

"We have an opportunity to pass legislation to insure the continued use of our common language for government purposes, and place Missouri in the forefront of states that recognize their responsibility to use language policy as a way of encouraging the full participation of all citizens in the economic, political, and cultural life of the state."

U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, is sponsoring a similar bill in Congress to make English the nation's official language.

Last year Emerson sponsored the same bill, but it was introduced too late in the session for action.

"Over 150 languages are spoken within this nation's borders," noted Emerson. "Logically, one should be pre-eminent. There should be one tongue in which all of our official business is conducted."

The three lawmakers are quick to point out that this legislation is not intended to discriminate against immigrants or citizens that are not native born, but rather to give them access to government information and job opportunities.

They also note that since so many languages are spoken in the nation, it is not practical to require government information to be printed in every language that is spoken in a particular area. On the other hand, they stress that a law like this would not prevent government agencies from providing information, ballots, and emergency information in languages other than English.

"Relative ease of communication in a single language provides a kind of national glue, a common thread in the continuous movement of a nation that is spread over a wide area and harbors diverse interests, beliefs, and national origins," explained Emerson.

"Knowledge of English is a key to opportunity in America. Those who don't speak English have only a limited number of doors available to them."

John C. Ciccone, director of communications for U.S. English, a Washington, D.C. based group, points out that by designating English as the nation's official language, the law would also increase programs to teach English.

Ciccone said many people take it for granted that English is our official language, especially in Missouri where there are not a lot of foreign born residents.

"We are seeing increasing demands for government functions to be done in languages other than English," said Ciccone, who believes that is the wrong approach.

"We should use English as the language to accomplish a more integrated society, better access to education, and better access to economic opportunities."

He added, "It is not an issue of English versus Spanish, but rather one language versus many. We can transcend our differences through a common language."

Ciccone cited a Workforce 2000 study which shows that by the year 2000 the majority of jobs in the United States will require 13 years of education. Now, the average education skills for immigrants in this country is 6.1 years.

He believes national legislation will mandate more programs to teach English to new arrivals to this country as well as improve literacy of people already here.

"One objective we must have is for every kid who graduates from an American high school should be proficient in the English language so they can pursue a job or higher education," remarked Ciccone.

He pointed out that in New Jersey, the high school graduation examination is offered in 12 different languages right now; in the nation's second largest school district in Los Angeles, between 35 and 50 percent of the students have limited proficiency in English.

"The idea that what we are doing is exclusionary or racist is nonsense," stressed Ciccone.

Emerson added that his legislation would "give the federal government an affirmative obligation to promote English" as a way of "opening doors" that would otherwise stay closed for those who come to this country.

Rep. Thomason said another concern is that some court cases across the country have been moving toward requiring government to provide information in various languages as a constitutional right. But publishing things in a variety of languages is just not prudent, he noted.

Thomason pointed out that half the countries in the world have an official language and that five of the eight states that border Missouri have already adopted English. Having an official language would be a safeguard for future problems, he suggested.

Staples agrees that it is not practical to print everything in many different languages. He noted that California has 90 different languages spoken by residents.

"I think this should have been taken care of years ago," declared Staples. "It is important to me, and I think to the rest of Missouri, that we give incentives to people that decide to live in Missouri from foreign countries to learn the American English. This would do that."

Ciccone stressed that even with an official language, "government can still provide services in different languages such as bilingual ballots, but need not function bilingually."

Under the proposed state legislation, Missouri and all of its political subdivisions would be required to act in English and no other language, except for several exceptions.

Those exceptions include: to assist students who are not proficient in the English language; to comply with federal law; to teach a foreign language as part of a required or voluntary educational curriculum; to protect the public health and safety; to protect the rights of criminal defendants or the victims of crimes; or to facilitate proceedings before courts and administrative bodies through the use of words or phrases which are legal terms recognized by the bar in English-speaking countries.

Ciccone and the lawmakers agree that once people understand the issue, they tend to support it. Ciccone cited a Gallup poll taken earlier this year that showed 95 percent of the people did not think making English the official language of government would unjustly discriminate against them. Of families with a native language other than English, 88 percent said they did not think it would discriminate against them.

Staples' bill was passed out of his committee on conservation, state parks, and tourism by a 6 to 1 margin recently and will be taken up by the full Senate in about two weeks.

Thomason's bill was passed unanimously by the governmental review committee of the House last week, and should make it to the floor in time for serious consideration.

Both are optimistic the measure will be approved and signed into law this year once legislators understand the measure.

"I think if we can get it to the floor, it will pass on through," said Thomason. "It is a common sense type bill; I would welcome an opportunity to explain this to the full House."