U.S. English Hails Passage of Iowa's Official English Legislation as Victory for All Iowans

Iowa to be 27th State to Enact Official English Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. ENGLISH Chairman and CEO Mauro E. Mujica today hailed the historic passage of Official English legislation by the Iowa House of Representatives. By a 56-42 vote, the Iowa House gave final legislative approval to the Iowa English Language Reaffirmation Act, and sent the bill to Gov. Tom Vilsack who is expected to sign it into law. The bill passed the Iowa Senate in March 2001.

"Making English the state's official language is a victory for all Iowans," said Mujica. "We congratulate Sen. Steve King (R-6), whose bill (S.F.165) is now awaiting signature by Gov. Vilsack, on his commitment not only to his constituents, but to every Hawkeye living throughout Iowa. All Iowans will benefit from this common sense legislation: taxpayers will save money, immigrants will be encouraged to learn English and everyone will be able to communicate with each other.

"Iowa's legislators understand the importance of English as our common language," said Mujica. "We are pleased Iowa's lawmakers chose to vote for the unity of every Hawkeye and reject the divisive rhetoric of a few self-appointed immigrant 'leaders.' We congratulate the State Legislature on taking this important step to preserve the tradition of a common language, English, for all Iowans."

U.S. ENGLISH worked closely with Sen. Steve King over the last year in getting official English legislation passed in Iowa, and relied on the organization's approximately 20,000 Hawkeye members for added support when attempting to educate legislators on the importance of English as the state's common language.

The Iowa English Language Reaffirmation Act does not prevent anyone from speaking languages other than English nor does it take away a person's heritage or culture by encouraging him or her to learn the state's common language; it simply mandates the state government to conduct its business in English. There are 110 languages other than English spoken in Iowa today.

"Only by giving people a common language can we ensure that everyone has an equal chance to go as far as their skills, talent, and dreams take them," said Mujica.

"As an immigrant from Chile, I know first-hand the obstacles facing non-English speakers and understand that knowing English is the key to unlocking opportunities and realizing the American Dream," said Mujica.

"A staunch ally of U.S. ENGLISH, Sen. King has known for years that the majority of Iowans wanted English as the state's official language," said Mujica. "Poll after poll, including one conducted by U.S. ENGLISH, demonstrated the wide popularity of an official English law in Iowa. Sen. King was determined to do what was best for his state and we applaud his dogged efforts to give the people what they wanted.

"In this nation of immigrants, speaking a common language: English, is a symbol of our unity much like the flag and the Declaration of Independence," said Mujica. "Iowa can now proudly add itself to the growing list of states making English their official language."

Once Gov. Vilsack signs the English Language Reaffirmation Act into law, Iowa will be the 27th state with an official English language law on the books. Other states are currently considering similar legislation.

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.