Momentum Building for Oklahoma Official English Bill

Recent poll finds 88 percent of voters favor making English the language of government

As the Oklahoma legislature begins its second week of business, support for making English the official language of Oklahoma continues to grow among legislators and the general public. Two months after House Speaker Lance Cargill joined a group of pro-assimilation legislators in announcing support for official English legislation, several bills to address the issue have been introduced in the Oklahoma legislature. The effort comes on the heels of the successful passage of a comprehensive immigration measure in 2007.

“With immigration legislation enacted, it is time to focus on assimilation, specifically making English the official language of the state,” said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of U.S. English, Inc. “For its 100 year history as a state, Oklahoma has worked to facilitate interaction within its diverse population. Recently, that vision of a unified Oklahoma has gotten more complicated through the addition of a large number of non-English speaking immigrants to the mix. The blueprint for another a century of success must ensure that all Oklahomans are on the road to English proficiency while respecting the rights of Native American tribes in the state.”

A recent poll by the Tulsa World and KOTV-Channel 6 found that 88 percent of Oklahomans support making English the official language of the state, including 93 percent of Republicans and 84 percent of Democrats. The poll of 757 registered voters was conducted Jan. 27-30, 2008 and has a margin of error of 3.6 percentage points.  

“Oklahomans want to maintain their proud traditions, but they are equally adamant that they maintain a tradition of assimilation through our common language of English,” continued Mujica. “I look forward to working with Speaker Cargill, Rep. Terrill and other pro-assimilation members of the legislature to develop a bill that achieves both missions and passes judicial scrutiny.”

Oklahoma is one of 17 states where there is legislation pending to enact or strengthen laws making English the official language of the state. In the last 18 months, three states – Arizona, Idaho and Kansas – have made English their official language, bringing the number of states with enacted laws to 30.