Picking the Wedge: Missouri’s English Only Initiative and Why It Matters
by Andrew Chappelle
In the next month, Missouri voters won’t just be heading to the polls to choose the next president of the United States or our next governor, but will also vote to solve what amounts to a statewide problem …that doesn’t exist.
November’s ballot will feature yet another wedge-issue constitutional amendment intended to divide voters, galvanize one party’s base and shift attention from more pressing issues we as Missourians currently face. This time around there is an amendment to declare English as an official language of government business in a manner that is arguably anti-immigrant.
Similarly in the 2004 election cycle, Missouri voters were divided by a constitutional amendment aggressively pushed by one political party, which succeeded in diverting voters’ attention from other serious local and national concerns.
Constitutional Amendment 1 would amend the Missouri Constitution to add a statement that English should be the language of all governmental meetings at which any public business is discussed, decided, or public policy is formulated, whether conducted in person or by conference call, video conference, or by Internet chat or message board. The ballot measure would also mean that English would be the only language for ballots, driver’s license exams and other documents.
Regardless of its intent, this amendment would adversely affect non-English speakers—effectively punishing them—and would impinge on their ability to seek and obtain information and services from the Missouri government. Such a move could negatively affect a wide swath of individuals, be they legally admitted or not.
A mechanism has been in place for several decades in which immigrants, international students and refugees have had the option of using a translated application for driver’s licenses—this system has worked and under the new amendment, would be scrapped.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the written test for a Class F license (the kind most people have, including myself) is currently available in 11 foreign languages. They are: Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Bosnian. Seven foreign languages are offered on the computer: Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Bosnian, Korean, and Chinese. Until recently, the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) written examinations were provided in English and Spanish, though the Missouri House changed this law as of August 28th and it is now administered only in English, with translators not allowed for applicants taking the test. In the first half of 2007, nearly 3,700 written tests were in a language other than English.
If we truly want immigrants, refugees and international students to thrive in the state of Missouri, we must provide them with the means to help themselves. The ability to drive a vehicle is key for so many people to obtain employment.
Theses changes to driver’s license examinations may not be apparent to the public in the language of the amendment, which focuses on official meetings. This is why it is important that we educate our community about the potential ramifications of this amendment, which could change the way government preceedings are conducted, the way testimony is given in a court of law, and other instances where a foreign language is occasionally spoken. There are far too many unknowns.
Join me in voting “no” on Missouri Constitutional Amendment 1.
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“English-only issue gets Missouri talking”, Kansas City Star
“English-only amendment sparks heated debate”, St. Joseph News Press
“Amendment would require English”, Belleville News Democrat