Salt Lake Tribune

February 4, 1998

English Only Fails to Pass House Panel
By SHAWN FOSTER, The Salt Lake Tribune

English Only legislation in Utah is dead, at least for this year.
    A house committee voted 6-3 on Tuesday not to pass the bill to the House floor.
    ``It is unfortunate that the whole body will not have the opportunity to make their opinions known on the issue,'' said Tammy Rowan, R-Orem, the bill's sponsor. ``It had the public's support.''
    House Bill 189 would have made English the state's official language. The measure also would prohibit state agencies from conducting government business or printing information in any language but English. The bill makes several exceptions: foreign-language and English as a Second Language classes in public schools; foreign-language books in libraries; court interpreters; law-enforcement and emergency personnel who work with non-English-speaking communities; and tourism and economic-development programs.
    In an attempt to sway committee members, Rowan passed out boxes of Valentine's candy and asked legislators to be ``sweethearts'' and give the bill a hearing on the floor.
    The bill failed to win the endorsement of the committee, and another motion to table the bill after its defeat -- a move that would require a two-thirds vote to revive it -- failed on a tie, meaning the measure is still before the committee and could be brought back for debate.
    But Tuesday afternoon, Rowan said she will not attempt to bring the bill back this session.
    The measure -- first introduced last year -- faced growing opposition from public-health workers, teachers, librarians and ethnic minorities.
    About 300 people crammed into the committee room Tuesday. Rowan insisted that her bill was meant to help immigrants and ethnic minorities.
    Many minorities were unconvinced.
    ``I am a descendant of the people who once called this valley home,'' said Ruby Atwine, a former member of the Ute Tribe's governing business committee. ``[This bill] is an insult to our tribe.''
    Rowan brought her own contingent -- many first-generation immigrants to the United States -- to testify in favor of her bill.
    Rep. Swen Nielsen, R-Provo, a former police chief and Danish immigrant, said criticism of the measure and its intent was a ``gross insult and embarrassment'' to the state.
    ``This is an English-speaking country and an English-speaking state,'' he said.
    ``It is the responsibility of Utahns to know English,'' said Robert Zamaro. ``It is our choice to be here. There are thousands in the Hispanic community who support this legislation, although a few self-proclaimed minority community leaders would have you believe otherwise.''
    But other minority voices were solidly against the bill.
    On Tuesday, state ethnic advisory councils issued a joint position paper opposing the bill. One of their concerns was what they called the ``anti-minority'' intent of official English legislation.
    James Crawford, author of Hold Your Tongue: Bilingualism and the Politics of English Only, agrees with the councils' interpretation. In his book, Crawford details the founding of U.S. English -- a Washington D.C.-based non-profit group dedicated to promoting official English laws and a strong supporter of Rowan's bill.
    Mauro Mujica, head of U.S. English, came to Utah to testify in favor of the bill before the session. The organization also helped Rowan revise the bill, prepare arguments to respond to critics and prepared advertisements.
    According to Crawford, one of the group's founders, John Tanton, organized U.S. English and Federation for American Immigration Reform out of a fear of a ``Latin onslaught.''
    ``Obviously, not everyone who believes English as an official language is a bigot,'' Crawford said. ``But the history shows where the movement came from ideologically and the point of view is still represented.''
    Rowan said that she does not routinely do background checks on individuals or organizations that offer aid.
    ``They called and offered help,'' Rowan said. ``I don't know anything about their history.''
    The Associated Press contributed to this story.