Thread: Nashville Council returns home with immigration bills

http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index ... s_id=52195

Campaign focus page to contact the council in support of these ordinances.
http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... c&p=218399

September 19, 2006

Council returns home with immigration bills

The Metro Council will consider tonight two pieces of legislation involving immigration in Nashville.

On the first of three required readings, when bills typically pass without discussion, an ordinance requiring Metro Government use only English in its communications will be considered. On the third of three readings, an ordinance prohibiting any Metro contractor from knowingly hiring an illegal immigrant will be voted on.

The meeting will be the legislative body’s first in the newly renovated Historic Metro Courthouse downtown.

— Bill Harless

Everyone,

Please go to the Focus Campaign link Brian503a included and write a brief letter or make a call.

Realize, Nashville is a large city that is willing to take this on and it is a sign that it is moving from smaller townships to a larger scale. Politicians will worry about loosing votes from Nashville if they don't go along with the citizens. Nashville can change the course of State and Federal elections because of the population. Please go to the focus page and show your support. Also, Knoxville, TN is waiting to see what happens in Nashville before they go forward with their Hazelton type IIRA ordinance.

Thanks,
Dixie

http://www.ashlandcitytimes.com/apps/pb ... 291/MTCN01

Tuesday, 09/19/06

English-only issue splits council
15 inclined to make it 'official language,' 13 lean against

By LEE ANN O'NEAL
and ANNE PAINE
Staff Writers


A proposal requiring that all Metro government communications be only in English has drawn mixed reaction from Metro Council, with 15 members voicing firm or tentative support and 13 members voicing firm or tentative reservations.

Eight members say they are not leaning either way, as the measure heads to the first of three required readings at to night's Metro Council meeting.

The measure, proposed by Metro Councilman Eric Crafton, would make English Metro government's "official language" and require all city communications to be only in English.

"When you come here, it's not our responsibility to teach you how to do everything, hold your hand when you go to do every aspect of daily living," Crafton said.

The measure could be challenged as unconstitutional or as violating the Voting Rights Act, the Metro Law Department has said, and it could jeopardize some federal funding for the city if it breaches federal mandates.

Crafton said he would exempt from the English-only requirement "anything that would be considered a safety issue or a health issue" within the government, while "routine business" such as applying for a building permit or applying for water service should be done in English only.

Many council members voicing tentative support said they would want those changes made before voting for the bill.

Opponents of the bill say the measure is unnecessary because Metro business is conducted in English now and because state law says English is the state's official language.

The English-only measure has sparked hundreds of e-mails and calls to the council. It also has sparked public displays of fervor, such as an electronic interstate billboard message on I-40 supporting the bill and a planned rally of opponents of the bill at tonight's council meeting.

Council members likened the emotion of the response to a debate over a 2003 bill that called for banning discrimination within city government based on sexual orientation.

"I don't know if it'll get to the intensity of the gay rights thing, but it's headed in that direction," said Metro Councilman Jim Shulman of Green Hills. "I just would rather us not to have to battle that again. The council has enough problems."

The 39-member council, on which amajority vote is needed to pass the bill, is divided on the measure. Many had questions. In response to a Tennessean survey on the bill:

• Two members unequivocally supported Crafton's measure, while three found it unreasonable as a policy.

• Fourteen members said that if changes were made — including an exemption for public safety and health programs — they probably would support the bill.

• Ten had serious doubts about the bill and had questions, including about whether it's needed and what it might cost the city.

• Seven members were less categorical in their responses.

• Two members refused to discuss the measure.

Councilman Ludye Wallace of downtown said the public response to the measure was "merely evidence that we've got an immigration problem."

"If that were taken care of, then people wouldn't be so outraged and looking for ways to curtail it," Wallace said.

The council also will take its final vote tonight on a bill aimed at punishing Metro contractors who hire illegal residents.

Councilman J.B. Loring of Donelson, who sponsored the contractors bill, said he was "totally in favor" of the English-only bill with exemptions for public safety and health programs.

"I detest all this junk on the telephone: 'Press one if you want English. Press two if you want Spanish. Press three if you want Russian,' and all that rigmarole," Loring said.

Councilman Mike Jameson of Lockeland Springs-east Nashville called the proposal "unworkable, if not illegal."

"Maybe the sponsor imagines long lines of immigrants at various Metro departments. But requiring 'English only' isn't going to make the line go away," Jameson said.

"The people in those lines will still need services, so they'll stay. But now we've prevented the person at the counter from dealing with his customers in the most efficient manner."

An owner of a heating-and-cooling company, whose support of the bill prompted him to put a message on his interstate billboard, said it was "ridiculous" for tax money to be spent on translations of city publications.

Alan Sielbeck, owner of Interstate AC Service, drew public notice with this message: "Metro Council. Welcome to America. We speak English here. Pass the bill. Immigrants. No habla ingles? No freeo stuffo from el governmento. Comprende por favor?"

Sielbeck said a city policy to accommodate non-English speakers was impractical because of the many languages spoken in America.

"You're always going to be offending someone who happens (to) speak some dialect of some aboriginal tribe in New Guinea. So, since you're not going to translate for them, why translate for anybody?" Sielbeck said.

But Robert Jimenez, a Vanderbilt professor who studies literacy, said the "punitive" bill would serve to "exclude people." Jimenez said the language skills required to interact with government bureaucracy were more complicated than conversational language.

"The vocabulary's so technical and specialized, and the consequences of not getting it right are somewhat frightening," Jimenez said. •

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll ... 0/NEWS1302

Monday, 09/18/06

Metro sees legal pitfalls in English-only bill

By LEE ANN O'NEAL
Staff Writer


An English-only proposal for Metro government could face court challenges on grounds related to the First Amendment and the right to a fair trial, among other legal protections, according to the Metro Law Department.

The proposed law could also put the city's federal funding for the Head Start program in jeopardy be-cause of the requirement to communicate with families in their "primary or preferred language," Metro Law Director Karl Dean wrote in a memo to Metro Council.

Councilman Eric Crafton has proposed that English be made Metro government's "official language" and that city communications be in English — and only in English. His plan, to be voted on Tuesday, has lit a firestorm of community reaction in favor and against.

"There is nothing in my bill that discriminates or restricts access," Crafton said. He said the memo "really offered nothing new that wasn't already known."

Crafton said he will amend out of the English-only requirement "anything that would be considered a safety issue or a health issue."

One distinction between some proposals from other places and Crafton's proposal is his bill's requirement that city "communications, publications and telephone answering systems" be "in English only."

According to the legal analysis:

• When English has been given "official" status as the language of a government, without a stiffer English-only requirement, no "significant legal issues" have resulted. More legal challenges have followed measures that included an English-only rule.

• The English-only bill, if passed into law, could be challenged on constitutional grounds related to free speech, the right to petition the government for redress of grievances, the right to a fair trial and equal protection under the law, among others.

• The plan could also be challenged by Metro employees, who could allege it creates a hostile work environment.

http://www.gallatinnewsexaminer.com/app ... 2/60919011

Tuesday, 09/19/06

Metro's English-only proposal now ceremonial-only

By LEE ANN O'NEAL
Staff Writer


A proposal to require all Metro government communication to be only in English has been amended by its sponsor to allow city communications to continue in other languages when needed.

Councilman Eric Crafton of west Davidson County said this afternoon the new version removes the word "only," as in "English-only," from the bill, which is up for the first of three required council votes tonight.

"We wrote around that word, so we wouldn't have to use it," Crafton said. "That kind of is a hot-button word when it comes to legal challenges."

The new version keeps the ceremonial component of declaring English as Metro government's "official language." It also says English shall be used except "when required by federal law or when necessary to protect or promote public health safety or welfare...."

Crafton's original proposal to limit Metro government communications to English had divided the council, with some strongly favoring it, while others said it was impractical and unneeded.

The Metro Law Department had analyzed the original proposal and concluded it could be challenged as unconstitutional and could threaten federal funding to the city if it violated federal mandates that require non-English communication in some cases.

http://www.newschannel5.com/content/news/22118.asp

English-Only Bill Could Affect Metro Schools
Posted: 9/19/2006 5:11:09 PM

When you deal with Metro Government, should English only be spoken? One councilman says yes. In fact he's trying to make it a law.


Metro School officials are worried if this "English Only" bill passes, they'll lose more than $50 million in funding.

In Monica Moran's kindergarten class, she's teaching English to kids from seven different countries.

“I have four Kurdish, one Arabic, two from Asia, one that speaks Burmese,” Moran said.

Such diversity is not unique to Metro Schools. There are students from 83 different countries, and speak 78 different languages.

“We are required by the federal government to communicate with parents and students in a language they can understand,” Woody McMillan with Metro Schools said.

That means they must provide translators, and other services to meet multi-cultural needs. The federal government gives Metro Schools $50 million a year to make it happen.

“So if we could no longer communicate with those students, we might be at risk of losing federal funding,” McMillan said.

School officials said the risk comes if an "English Only" bill passes.

Councilman Eric Crafton wants to make English the official language of Metro Government.

“If you always offer all the services in different languages, instead of just English, then the person who is not a native English speaker, always has a crutch,” Crafton said.

Crafton recently decided to make two exceptions to his English only ordinance. Different languages could be spoken for a health, or a safety issue.

“We don't know if education will, or won't be included in this,” McMillan said.

Educators believe Metro Schools could be impacted, since technically they fall under Metro Government.

“So we don't know what would happen if we were to lose that money, or if Metro would make that up, what kind of things happen when a local government, disagrees with the federal government, a lot of questions remain unanswered at this point,” McMillan said.

The first reading is Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. at the Metro Courthouse.

If it passes, two additional votes would be necessary before it becomes a law in Metro.

Metro Council members will most likely take a final vote on another law involving immigration in Nashville.

The ordinance would prohibit any Metro contractor from knowingly hiring an undocumented worker.

Councilman J.B. Loring is sponsoring the piece of legislation




http://www.newschannel5.com/content/news/22097.asp

Metro Council Votes on English-Only Issue Tuesday Night
Posted: 9/19/2006 8:07:42 AM



When you deal with Metro Government, should you be allowed to only speak English? The Metro Council will vote on that question Tuesday night.


Tuesday’s vote will be the first of three votes on the issue. The first reading and vote is at 7:00pm. And, it looks like this is going to be a close vote all three times.

Fifteen Metro Council members have already made it clear they will support the English-only ordinance.

Thirteen members said they have reservations and 8 others haven't decided yet. The measure would make English Metro Government's official language. All business at city hall would be done in English.

Councilman Eric Crafton pitched the idea last week. He said it's not discriminatory. Crafton believes it would help foreigners reap the benefits of learning English.

Crafton said he would write an exemption into the ordinance that would allow people to use their own language if they were dealing with a safety or health issue.

The first reading is Tuesday night at 7:00pm. If it passes, there would be two additional votes before it becomes a law.