Thread: Iowa-Judge: State official violating English-only law

Judge: State official violating English-only law

12:45 PM

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- A judge has ruled that the secretary of state's office has been violating the state's English-only law by using foreign languages on the state's official voter registration forms.

The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed last year by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, who authored the law in 2002 when he served as a state senator.

Polk County District Judge Douglas Staskal filed his ruling this week, siding with King's argument that the English-only law requires all government proceedings to be in English.

Staskal ordered Secretary of State Michael Mauro to stop using foreign languages on the voter forms. He also called a state administrative rule that permits the use of other languages "an arbitrary act in violation of law."

King on Thursday said the ruling shows "no one is above Iowa law, not even the Iowa state government."

"English is our official language. The English language unites (us) as a state and as a nation," King said. "I believe that, and I am thankful that our official English law has been upheld."

King filed the lawsuit against Mauro and Gov. Chet Culver, who previously served as secretary of state.

King argued that the secretary of state's office was breaking the law by posting voter registration forms on its Web site in Spanish, Bosnian, Vietnamese and Laotian.

Attorney General Tom Miller sided with Culver and Mauro last year, saying the postings were legal because the English-only law permits the state to help residents exercise their constitutional right to vote.

Robert Brammer, a spokesman for the attorney general's office, said Thursday that state officials were studying the ruling and would consult with Mauro on whether to appeal the decision.

Brammer said that although state law requires all official forms to be in English, it does not prohibit the state from providing materials in other languages, too. "This principle can be particularly important in the area of voting rights of citizens," he said in a statement.

Mauro's office was not immediately available for comment Thursday afternoon.

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How did they pass the citizenship test if they need ballots in language other than English?? English is the language of politics. How is it possible to participate and vote if you don't understand the language? They must have dumbed down the citizenship test!

Iowa secretary of state won't appeal English-only ruling
4:52 PM

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro said Tuesday he won't appeal a judge's decision that voter registration forms must only be in English.

Mauro's office removed non-English voter forms from the secretary of state's Web site after the judge issued his ruling in March.

He said appealing the decision could take years and cost thousands of taxpayer dollars. Instead, Mauro said he would work with the Iowa attorney general's office to find alternatives for non-English speaking voters.

"It never was my intent not to comply with the law," Mauro said.

Former Gov. Tom Vilsack signed the English-language law in 2002, specifying that all government communications must be in English. But current Gov. Chet Culver said the law allows for voter registration forms to be in multiple languages.

Polk County District Court Judge Douglas Staskal ruled that the non-English forms conflicted with the law, which was written by former state Sen. Steve King, who is now a congressman.

King and anti-immigration advocates filed a lawsuit in January 2007, claiming Mauro placed voter information on his official Web site in Spanish, Bosnian, Vietnamese and Laotian.

The Iowa attorney general's office released a statement Tuesday that said the Legislature should change the law and allow voter registration forms to be in languages other than English.

"We will work with the secretary of state and county auditors on how election officials, within the bounds of the decision, can assist non-English speaking Iowans in exercising their right to vote," the statement read. "We also will be reviewing the decision and considering how it relates to other documents and materials provided by state and local government agencies in languages other than English."

King also issued a statement that said the law and the judge's ruling makes it clear that English is Iowa's official language.

"Gov. Culver and Secretary Mauro tried to subvert the law, but the court put them back in their place -- they are sworn to uphold the law, not act above it," King said in the statement. "All Iowans benefit from this victory for our official English law. We can now be united in our government work by one language. The English language unites us as a state and as a nation."

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There is NO reason for voter info or ballots to be in any other language. You HAVE to be able to speak English to be a citizen and to vote. WHY doesn't anybody ever bring this up??? It's a NO brainer!!! Anything else is condoning voter fraud!!

Attorney General Tom Miller sided with Culver and Mauro last year, saying the postings were legal because the English-only law permits the state to help residents exercise their constitutional right to vote.

The AG was dead wrong. RESIDENTS do not have a constitutional right to vote, only US CITIZENS do and he knows it! Glad to see it was fixed.

US citizens who do not speak or read English can bring an interpreter along, at their expense, to help them vote. That's what I had to do with my elderly parents until they learned sufficient English to do it themselves.