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Representative wants Colorado documents printed in English
reported by: Anastasiya Bolton Reporter
posted by: Marissa Pasquet Web Producer

Created: 4/24/2006 10:03 PM MST - Updated: 4/25/2006 7:00 AM MST






DENVER - A state representative wants all government documents in Colorado to be printed in English.


The House State Affairs Committee will discuss the proposal Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in room 107.

Republican Representative Dave Schultheis of Colorado Springs, wants all official state documents to be in English. "I believe that's necessary, there is a tendency right now in our society to start to use two, three different kinds of languages," says Schultheis.

He says his English-only proposal will unite with a common language.

"So we can actually encourage people to learn the English language, I think for the most part, most us would tend to opt out to what our native language is, just because it's easier, but in the end, that does not help that citizen to be productive in our society," Schultheis says.

"Is it the old message of the KKK, supremacist," says Democratic Representative Val Vigil of Thornton, "a pure nation. Is that what we're all about? Where we're headed, that's not what America is all about."

"The whole issue of it is, there are some consequences we need to look at," says Vigil, "what happens when the communication, when it doesn't happen, when an emergency happens, when somebody dies, who's going be liable for it? There are humane issues that we deal with in here."

The measure has a long way to go. It will have to be approved by the majority in committee Tuesday, then two thirds of the House and the Senate will have to approve it before it can go on the ballot for voters to decide on in November.