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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Contact: | Tim Schultz |
| November 4, 1998 | ||
| 202/833-0100 | ||
| 800/787-8216 |
VOTERS MAKE ENGLISH OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF ALASKA
INITIATIVE PASSES BY OVERWHELMING MARGIN
Alaska voters overwhelmingly passed a ballot initiative making English the official language of their state government. With 96.69% of the precincts reporting, 68.82% of voters supported Ballot Measure 6, with only 31.18% opposed. By passing the initiative, Alaska became the twenty-fifth state with English as its official language.
Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman/CEO of U.S.ENGLISH, said, "Alaska's voters obviously understand the importance of our common language. They rejected the divisive rhetoric of the radical multiculturalists and voted for unity. We congratulate them on taking this important step to preserve the tradition of a common language for all Alaskans."
U.S.ENGLISH worked closely with the state organization Alaskans for a Common Language, which sponsored the initiative. Most of the funding for the petition drive and campaign was donated by U.S.ENGLISH on behalf of its over 4000 members in Alaska.
The initiative, which qualified for the November 3 ballot with 36,000 signatures from all of the state's election districts, declares English as the language of Alaska state government. It also allows for common sense exceptions, such as international trade, health and safety information, and the needs of the legal system. The initiative provides a specific exception to comply with the federal Native American Languages Act in order to protect Alaska Native languages.
U.S.ENGLISH is the nation's oldest and largest organization dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States. Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California, U.S.ENGLISH now has more than 1.3 million members nationwide.
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