Michigan Senate Committee Approves Official English Bill

Legislation heads to the Senate floor; state could become 28th with official English

The Michigan Senate Committee on Local, Urban and State Affairs approved legislation that would make English the official language of the state today, sending the bill to the Senate floor. If H.B. 5633 is passed by the full Senate and signed by Governor Granholm, Michigan would become the 28th state to enact official English legislation.

H.B. 5633, introduced earlier this year by Rep. Jack Hoogendyk, would declare English the official language of Michigan and spare state agencies from being required to conduct government business in other languages, except where already required by federal law. The bill, which passed the House by a bi-partisan vote of 73-32 in May, represents the furthest consideration of an official English bill in Michigan. A March 2006 poll by MRG Research found that 83 percent of Michigan adults support making English the official language of the state.

“Rep. Hoogendyk and his colleagues deserve praise for their efforts to bring Michiganders together under one common language,” said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of U.S. English, Inc. “Our citizens understand that we never want to become an ‘English-only’ society, but we also do not want to become an ‘English-optional’ society. H.B. 5633 strikes that important balance, putting the state squarely on the side of bringing newcomers into the mainstream.”

Michigan is one of 13 states where legislation to unite the state under our common language of English was introduced in the most recent session. In addition to the Michigan House of Representatives, three additional state Houses passed measures in support of official English: Arizona, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. The Arizona measure, a ballot initiative, was also approved by the state Senate and will be put before the voters in the Nov. 7 general election.

“In a year of considerable debate on immigration and assimilation, official English legislation has presented a win-win option in a sea of extremes,” continued Mujica. “Legislators understand that regardless of the number of new residents arriving in a state, it is imperative that those newcomers are on the road to learning our common language, English. I am glad to see that the Committee is sending this beneficial message and I look forward to the entire Senate approving H.B. 5633 before the end of the session.”

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.