"English Only" Proposal Does More Harm

October 6, 1997

Many members of the Wisconsin Legislature want to declare English our official state language. This is bad news, because it could prevent non-English speakers from receiving important government information.

Bill Has Momentum

A bill declaring English the official language of Wisconsin is already moving toward passage in the State Assembly.

State Representative Bonnie Ladwig (R-Racine) is the principal sponsor of Assembly Bill 16, and many legislators are already cosponsors.

The Assembly State Affairs Committee held a public hearing on the bill in March.

The Committee could vote on AB16 at any time. Then the Assembly Rules Committee could schedule a vote by the entire Assembly on very short notice 

The "English Only" bill as it is known received new attention last week when the Wisconsin Counties Association (WCA) endorsed the bill by a wide margin. Even though Governor Thompson has indicated publicly that he is opposed, AB16 may be very hard to stop if WCA lobbies hard for passage.

AB16 harms non-English speakers. What is AB16 and what will it do?

AB16 and the English Only Movement

Assembly Bill 16 is Wisconsin's entry into the "English Only" movement. This anti-immigrant movement is the latest in a long series of anti-immigrant phases that have plagued U.S. history. "English Only" gained renewed strength when the conservative group U.S. English was founded in 1983. As of 1997 23 states have adopted various "English Only" laws.

"English Only" laws vary. Some state statutes simply declare English as the "official" language of the state. Other state and local edicts limit or bar government provision of non-English language assistance and services, according to a briefing paper against "English Only" put out by the American Civil Liberties Union. For example, some edicts restrict bilingual education programs, prohibit multilingual ballots or forbid non-English government services in general -- including such services as courtroom translation or multilingual emergency police lines.

A common element of these laws is that they require state and local governments to print important information solely in English. There usually can be exceptions, but exceptions are not required even for important public health and safety information. The bottom line for these laws is that non-English speakers will not get important government information in a timely or useful way. Convenience is actually seen as a fault by supporters of "English Only."

In Wisconsin the key section of Assembly Bill 16 provides that, "unless otherwise specifically required by law, all written expression by all units of state and local government in this state shall be in the English language, except that such expression may be in another language when appropriate to the circumstances of an individual case, the implementation of a program in a specific instance or the discharge of a responsibility in a particular situation."

This section leaves too much discretion to government officials who may not know or care much about the needs of non-English speakers. The section is vague and doesn't even try to set standards or guidelines for public officials and bureaucrats. Different government units will undoubtedly take different approaches that could change at any time.

English Only May Cause Real Harm

For example, under AB16 a public health clinic could tell an individual expectant mother information about the recently discovered dangers of some medicine, however, the clinic could not publish a flyer in Spanish or Hmong for many expectant mothers, unless it first got permission.

Or, as suggested by Marquette University Law Professor Ed Fallone, driver license application forms could only be printed in English. The bureaucrats would have to try to explain the application form to a non-English speaker, which could take considerable time, if they do not have a, for example, Hmong or Spanish speaking clerk available. It would be much more efficient for all involved to allow the Division of Motor Vehicles to print forms in the Hmong language and Spanish.

A spokesperson for the Wisconsin Counties Association reportedly has said that counties will save printing costs with "English Only." This is a fallacy. The cost of treating avoidable public health problems or of remedying inefficient bureaucratic systems will more than match any savings in printing costs.

What Can I Do?

Many people and organizations want to stop "English Only" in Wisconsin. The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, for example, wrote to all Wisconsin County Board Chairmen urging them to oppose AB16 before the Counties Association recent convention. Other people are writing or calling to important Republican leaders in the Assembly, such as Speaker Ben Brancel or majority leader Scott Jensen. Opponents believe that it is very important for individuals and groups to get involved now before it is too late.

To find out who represents a neighborhood or the address and telephone number for any legislator in the Wisconsin Legislature, one can call the toll free legislative hotline at 1-800-362-9472.

To find out more about the issue or how people can help oppose AB16, contact: Gessner Rivas at the ACLU of Wisconsin at 414-272-4032 or Milwaukee Public Schools at 414-475-8725.

For more information on the politics of language, refer to James Crawford's Language Policy Web Site.

 "The best insurance against social isolation of those who immigrate to our nation is acceptance -- and celebration -- of differences that exist within our ethnically diverse citizenry. The bond that unites our nation is not linguistic or ethnic homogeneity but a shared commitment to democracy, liberty and equality." American Civil Liberties Union