More U.S. states consider making English official language

Twenty-seven of the 50 U.S. states have laws making English their official language, and more are considering the idea, a news report said on Monday.

A ballot measure is pending in Arizona; related bills have passed houses of representatives in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Michigan; and governor candidates in Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arizona and Idaho have debated the idea, the USA Today newspaper reported.

At least five cities and towns have approved ordinances making English the official language, and eight are considering them. The U.S. Senate has included a provision in a pending immigration bill.

Rising concern over immigration has prompted a wave of cities and states this year to try to make English their official language, the report said.

"This is the most action we've seen in about 10 years," Rob Toonkel of U.S. English, a group promoting English as the official language, was quoted as saying.

Proposals vary but generally say government business must be conducted in English, with exceptions for emergency services. But such proposals had been rejected in Kennewick, Washington; Arcadia, Wisconsin; Avon Park, Florida; and Clarksville, Tennessee, and some measures had been challenged in court, the report said.

According to the Census Bureau, eight in 10 U.S. residents speak only English.

Source: Xinhua