Toolsview all

David Stanley Ford

Bid fails to pass official English bill
Bid fails to pass official English bill

   Comments Comment on this article12
Published: May 7, 2008

A parliamentary move by a Democratic leader has blocked a Senate vote on the House-passed bill to make English the official language of Oklahoma.

Advertisement

Instead, the bill is headed to a joint House-Senate conference committee. Senate President Pro Tem Mike Morgan said the bill is not dead, but it will be difficult to get an agreement to permit another vote on the legislation this session.

Morgan made the motion to send the bill to conference and instruct conferees to adopt a streamlined version to be voted on at the next statewide election.

Terrill decried the Senate action. He said it would force Oklahomans to pay for translation services.

The motion to send the bill to conference was adopted on a 25-23 vote. Twenty-four Democrats and one Republican, Sen. Harry Coates of Seminole, voted for the motion.

Toolsview all

David Stanley Ford


Related Topics: U.S. Government, Culture and Lifestyle, Language and Linguistics, Politics, U.S. Politics, U.S. Congressional News, U.S. Democratic Party Politics, Political Parties


Obama Backs Insurance Regulation
Drivers Pay $44/mo on Avg for Car Insurance. Are you paying too much?
Auto-Insurance-Experts.com
Buy Stocks - $4 Fee at ShareBuilder
No account or investment minimums. No inactivity fees. Start today.
www.sharebuilder.com

Leave a Comment

Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online

Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.


Log in below or sign up (it's free).





In the next 20 years English will be the number one spoken language in the world! (Every student in China is currently learning English) Everyone will know it, and our immigrants should learn it. When my ancestors came to America, they went to great lengths to learn English, or at least made sure their children could read/write/speak English so they could interpret for them. The only thing that bothers me is that our founding fathers had the US Constitution printed in 2 languages, English and German. Makes me wonder what the founding fathers would say about this?

Oh, and Kelly, you were wrong when you said America is a melting pot. America has lost the status of a melting pot. We are more a tossed salad, where everyone wants to keep their own identity and cultures instead of adopting, or "melting into", the American culture and waving the American flag when they reach American soil.
Cari, Frederick - May 8, 2008 at 11:21 pm
Report as inappropriate or
Ignore Cari
I wonder who the Democratic leader was who blocked the Senate vote? Was it Mike Morgan? Whoever it was is he fishing for spanish speaking votes? He had better remember who elected him in the first place.
David, Choctaw - May 8, 2008 at 4:37 pm
What a mess this country is in since the Mexican heathens have invaded this country. Talk about trash. I had rather be a hillbilly or a red-neck any day than be a Mexican heathen.
Glenna, Oklahoma City - May 7, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Why* do we need this passed? --Sorry, trying to fix my typo.
Richard, Oklahoma City - May 7, 2008 at 8:23 pm
We do we need this passed? Just look at what the French speaking province is doing in Canada. It's causing a rift in the country and they want to secede. Think of all the money that will be saved when printing in English only instead of wasting it on different translations. Also it will end all the discrimination amongst minority languages. Have you gone to Lowes and noticed the Japanese or Laos languages? Of course not. Companies have discriminated against Asian languages amongst others to cater to one translation. OR they can keep it fair and keep it English only. With unconstitutional and errant judges, sometimes passing extra laws is required to protect the citizenry.
Richard, Oklahoma City - May 7, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Yes, boycott we will. I'm starting by boycotting John McCain's Spanish-language campaign web site. It's going well so far.
Rufus, Oklahoma City - May 7, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Like someone said on another post, boycott what we dont like or agree with. If enough are willing and follow suit, things will change or not.
Sonny, Morgantown - May 7, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Sheesh! I'm glad we didn't have to tell all those people at the Cinco De Mayo celebration they had to shaddup and speak English!
Kevin, Oklahoma City - May 7, 2008 at 6:47 pm
I say the English only initiative must start in Stillwater!
B, Geary - May 7, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Report as inappropriate or
Ignore B
That's what the bill was trying to do Grandpa.
Brent, Jenks - May 7, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Why does legislation have to go this far? English is the de facto official language anyway, so why not just write legislation stating that all official documents will be in English only?
Anonymous, The Internet - May 7, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Who needs a stinkin' English-only bill. I don't need no stinkin' English-only bill! Most of us speak English. God forbid we might pick up a foreign word here and there by accident, or might stumble across a culture a little different than our own, and run in fear, or try to understand it a little - and expand just a bit our teeny-tiny brains! I think that some of the Spanish initiatives went too far, having textbooks in our schools in both languages, a bi-lingual teacher in each classroom and so forth, but this is going to far the other direction. I've heard taht in the bills wording people who even translated for a foreign language speaking person could be given a fine for helping in the transmittal of a "Ferrin'" language. Let's pick the middle path on this issue, not going too far in either direction.
Mike, Oklahoma City - May 7, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Report as inappropriate or
Ignore Mike

    News Photo Galleriesview all