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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact:	Tim Schultz
February 23, 1998
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POLL SHOWS WASHINGTONIANS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT
ENGLISH AS STATE’S OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

A poll of registered voters in Washington shows that they favor making English the official language of the state by a better than five to one margin. Eighty percent of respondents favored official English legislation, while only 14% were opposed. The survey was taken on February 10 and 11, just 7 days before the Washington Senate Rules Committee failed to schedule a vote on a bill to make English the official language of the state. The poll was commissioned by U.S.ENGLISH, Inc., and conducted by the Tarrance Group.

"This poll shows that the legislature is completely out of touch with the people of Washington," said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of the Board/CEO of U.S.ENGLISH. "Washingtonians overwhelmingly support making English their state’s official language. It is a travesty that the legislature is ignoring the will of the people. I hope the legislature will reconsider, and act swiftly to make English the official language of Washington."

The poll found overwhelming support among all ethnic groups. Official English is favored by 80% of whites, 90% of blacks, 88% of Asians, and 78% of other groups.

If Washington were to make English its official language, it would become the twenty-fourth state to do so. Washington’s official English legislation, SB 6339, would require most government actions and documents to be in English, with common-sense exceptions such as public health and safety information, the needs of the justice system, and international trade and tourism.

U.S.ENGLISH is a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting English as the common language of the United States. The group was founded in 1983 by the late Senator S.I. Hayakawa of California, and now has over 32,000 thousand members in Washington and over 1.3 million members nationwide.

The poll of 500 registered voters was conducted by the Tarrance Group on February 10-11, 1998, with a margin of error of ± 4.5%.

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