. "Them thar fancy-pants perfessor fellers shore don't speak no English neither"
Posted on 04/13/2005 8:08:49 AM PDT by tomball
Two days after the end of the legislative session, state lawmakers are discovering something few were aware of: They voted to make English the official language of West Virginia.
The language amendment was quietly inserted into a bill addressing the number of members that cities can appoint to boards of parks and recreation. Among mundane details about record-keeping, the amendment adds the provision that "English shall be the official language of the State of West Virginia."
Senate Majority Whip Billy Wayne Bailey successfully offered that change to House Bill 2782 amid a flurry of bills moving back and forth between the House and Senate on Saturday, the last night of the 60-day legislative session.
"I just told the members that the amendment clarifies the way in which documents are produced," Bailey, a Democrat, said Monday.
House Majority Leader Rick Staton recommended that his chamber agree with the Senate‘s changes. But Staton, also a Democrat, said he was unaware of the substance of the amendment until asked about it by The Associated Press Monday evening.
Efforts to make English the state‘s official language have been introduced annually since the late 1990s. A group called U.S. English has championed the cause.
"I think it‘s wrong that‘s something like that was snuck into that bill in the last minute," said House Judiciary Chairman Jon Amores, who helped kill an earlier proposal to forbid any state or local agency from having to print documents in any language but English.
A spokeswoman for Gov. Joe Manchin could not immediately be reached for comment.
Andrew Schneider, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia, said English-only laws are based on the false premise that immigrants will not learn English without government coercion.
"And English-only laws do nothing constructive to increase English proficiency. They simply discriminate and punish those who have not yet learned English," Schneider said.
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On the Net:
West Virginia Legislature: http://www.legis.state.wv.us
That's too funny! :)
Poor, Schneider. :)
Oh, just great. Now everybody there is going to have learn how to speak it. ;)
. "Them thar fancy-pants perfessor fellers shore don't speak no English neither"
This happens in the US Congress too. These morons have nothing to complain about. READ THE BILL BEFORE YOU VOTE ON IT OR HAVE SOMEBODY OUTLINE IT FOR YOU. Schumcks
No, i'm sure we give anyone under the age of 5 a free pass.
Good for West Virginia. Now, what next? Perhaps an official state foot covering?
Unfortunately for the opponents of this bill, it was written in English and they were unable to decipher it.
ROFL!
Do you think that a few law-makers are beginning to wake up....? Nah!
"Unfortunately for the opponents of this bill, it was written in English and they were unable to decipher it."
Definate irony here.
But be kind... after all, the toothbrush was invented in West Virginia, otherwise it would be known as the teethbrush.
It's about time. I used to could speak English, but I spent four years in W.Va. in college. I wish they would have done this years ago. BTW: Wheeling Jesuit University has still never apologized for having baby-killer Janet Reno as their commencement speaker in May of 2000. So Wheeling Jesuit University is still officially complacent about abortion. They re-affirmed their official position of complacency about abortion by inviting the pro-partial-birth-abortion Governor of W.Va. for honors at their commencement in 2002. Also, Wheeling Jesuit University has a building named after baby-killing Senator Robert Byrd. Undoubtedly one of the few buildings on a Catholic college campus named for a baby-killer.
So does that mean lawyers can't use Latin words in court cases and doctors can't use Greek words?
"Yeah, but we can spell definite at least."
Ouch, that's going to leave a mark! touche'
:)
You must know of the ribbing Mountaineers get in Ohio!
Besides, my mother's family came from W.Va, so my teasing is done tounge-in-cheek.
I know, everyone teases us, and with our senators, we get it even more. I just couldn't let it pass though, it was too funny. Don't forget who our state went to in the past 2 elections. Plus, you are a browns fan, and you can guess who we root for, we are actually from western PA. My hubby went to WVU and got 2 engineering degrees.
By the way, what does WVU football and marijuana have in common? Both get smoked in bowls. That joke never gets old to me. LOL!
< You must know of the ribbing Mountaineers get in Ohio!
Besides, my mother's family came from W.Va, so my teasing is done tounge-in-cheek. >
They don't call the cities due south of Cleveland "Little WV" for nothing.
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