Supreme Court to review English-only law.

Should English be the official government language of the United States?

The U.S. Supreme Court will determine the constitutionality this fall of an Arizona law requiring that English be the official language of state government. The case stems from a lawsuit by Maria-Kelley Yniguez, a state employee who spoke English and Spanish to claimants while evaluating medical malpractice claims in 1988.

Yniguez testified that forcing her to speak only English violated her First Amendment right of free speech. She was joined in her suit by Jaime Gutierrez, an Hispanic state senator, who argued that the law prevented him from speaking to his constituents in Spanish.

Twenty-three states have passed legislation making English their official state language. However, the laws differ in scope, ranging from symbolic support of English usage to prescriptive control of the language used by state employees.

Colorado's law, for example, is one sentence: "The English language is the official language of the state of Colorado." The Arizona law was considered one of the most restrictive in the country, requiring all government officials and employees to use only English in their conduct of government business.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Arizona's "official English" law violates the First Amendment.

Proponents argue that making English the official language will promote unity, political stability and encourage a common language. They believe that official English laws ensure a precise language of communication for governing in a society where many languages are spoken.

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