from: www.us-english.org

On Feb. 21, the Kansas House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to make English the official language of the State of Kansas. The bill, H.B. 2140, passed by a margin of 114-7. In mid-March, the bill passed a Senate committee and now goes to the Kansas Senate for consideration. If passed and signed into law by the governor, Kansas would become the 29th state with English as its official language.

Over the last six months, U.S. English, Inc. has been working with legislators in Kansas to get an official English bill into the legislature. As you may have read in last autumn's newsletter, official English became a hot topic in Kansas during last year's gubernatorial election. Over the course of the 2006 campaign, both the incumbent and her challenger made announcements in support of common language legislation. Furthermore, a Mason-Dixon poll found that 77 percent of Kansas voters favored the law.

As passed by the House, the bill would keep state agencies from being required to conduct business and provide documents in languages other than English. It would also provide $500,000 for programs to help adults learn English.

Our success in Kansas marks the eighth time in the last five years that an official English bill has passed through at least one chamber of a state legislature. As the bill heads to the Senate, keep an eye on our website and your e-mail for updates and developments.