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Immigration

About 80 people packed City Council chambers as Mayor Pro Tem Chris Peden spoke for seven minutes, including two minutes about his English proposal. Eleven residents also spoke about the issue.
Kim Christensen: For the Chronicle
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Dec. 6, 2006, 10:19AM
Friendswood divided over English plan
Councilman and residents air their views at tense city meeting


By THAYER EVANS
Chronicle Correspondent


FRIENDSWOOD — Tempers flared and City Council clashed Monday night in this affluent Galveston County city over a proposal that would let voters decide this spring whether to make English the city's official language.
Last month, Mayor Pro Tem Chris Peden said he would ask the city's charter review committee to explore the possibility and wants it to appear as a proposition on the city's May 12 ballot.

Since then and again Monday night, the League of United Latin American Citizens denounced the proposal and threatened to campaign against it. The organization also has indicated it would take legal action against the city if the measure is approved.

About 80 people packed City Council chambers as Peden spoke for seven minutes, including two minutes about his English proposal. Eleven residents also spoke about the issue.

Resident Charles Reeves said he would vote for the proposition.

"You're free to leave if you want to speak another language," said Reeves, 38, a mortgage broker who has lived in Friendswood for four years.

Resident James Montemayor opposes the proposal and said the debate about English has spilled over to the schools, where he said his sons have had to deal with derogatory comments.

"The city has probably opened a Pandora's box here," said Montemayor, 48, an independent contractor.

City Council members Jim Hill, Jay Horecky and John LeCour also voiced support of the proposition while Laura Ewing and Mel Measeles opposed it.

"What establishing English as an official language does is give a baseline," Peden said. "The city of Friendswood is going to publish everything in English. Our meetings will be held in English. If you want to address the City Council, you'll address the City Council in English. If you want to apply for something, the forms will be written in English. Now that does not in any way mean that they cannot or will not or should not be written in another language. That just simply means the official language of the city is English."

Ewing said she thinks people should learn English and be able to speak it, but is against it being the city's official language.

LeCour said he thinks all city employees should speak English for safety reasons.

Mayor David Smith said he doesn't think the city should be discussing an official language.

"This is not the venue for these kinds of discussions," Smith said.

"I understand why it comes up. In my opinion it's because our state and national legislatures have not addressed these issues yet. People are using city councils or lower levels of government to express their opinions about that."

LULAC's Houston-area director, Rick Dovalina, encouraged the city to pass a resolution, not an ordinance that makes English the official language in Friendswood. He said several Hispanics have indicated to him that they are concerned about the city.

"I'm getting calls from people who are saying, 'Well, are we not welcome in the city of Friendswood? Are we not supposed to shop there anymore? Can we visit our friends? Can we eat and go out to restaurants in Friendswood? Are we not welcomed?' " Dovalina said.

In October, the Friendswood council voted 6-1 to approve a resolution that urges President Bush and Congress to enforce the Immigration and Nationality Act, which governs primarily immigration and citizenship in the U.S.

Last month, the north Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch passed ordinances that declared English the city's official language, approved fines for landlords who rent to illegal immigrants and directed police to screen those in custody to see if they are here illegally. In September, Farmers Branch mailed a copy of a similar resolution to Friendswood and requested that City Council pass its own version of the measure.