Bill Introduced to Make English the Official Language of Delaware

The state of Delaware joined a growing list of states considering making English the official language with the introduction of House Bill 436, introduced by Rep. Bobby Outten this week. H.B. 436 would provide that all of Delaware’s official documents be in English, with exceptions for emergency and judicial services, the teaching of foreign languages, and other common sense exemptions.

“In statehood and in policy, Delaware has always been a leader among the states,” said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of U.S. English, Inc. “Now it is time for the First State to lead the way in unifying its residents through one common language. The introduction of legislation in Delaware is the latest in the increasing public call for legislation that will highlight what brings our diverse nation together.”

In the current legislative session, ten states have introduced measures to make English the official language of the state: Arizona, Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Bills have already passed the House of Representatives in Arizona and Michigan. Also currently pending are two measures at the federal level: H.R. 997, introduced by Rep. Steve King, which is one of the most widely supported bills in the 109th Congress, and the Inhofe Amendment added to the current immigration bill, which passed the Senate 63-34 late last week. To date, 27 states have adopted policies to make English the official language of the state.

In recent years, Delaware has become an increasingly popular home for newcomers to the United States. The state’s immigrant population doubled between 1990 and 2000, and the percentage of Delawareans who are foreign born is at the highest since 1930. According to the Census, 6.5 percent of Delaware mothers who gave birth between 2000 and 2003 spoke English “not well” or “not at all,” ranking the state 14th in the nation.

"Delaware should see its attractiveness to new immigrants as a positive sign,” added Mujica. “Immigrants are eminently capable of learning English, and the government should focus on helping them gain English proficiency and become Americans.”

The Delaware House and Senate both passed official English legislation in 1995, but it was vetoed by then-Governor Tom Carper. Carper, now a Senator from Delaware, voted in favor of the Inhofe Amendment making English the “national language” in the Senate last week.

U.S. English, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest non-partisan citizens' action group 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, Inc. (www.usenglish.org) now has more than 1.8 million members.