Metro legal department says English-first initiative is illegal

Opponents of Nashville’s official English initiative are going all-out to keep the measure off the Nov. ballot. The city’s legal department has issued an opinion saying the measure violates the rule that initiatives can be submitted only once every two years. It bases its interpretation on a strict application of a 365 day year instead of the election cycle. The opinion argues that since a voter initiative appeared on the ballot on Nov. 7, 2006, this year’s general election on Nov. 4 falls three days too soon. The department also interprets “submitted” to mean submitted to the voters rather than submitted for validation. “What they are trying to do is create a stalling tactic to keep the people from voting on this measure. … We will do whatever it takes, if it takes a day in court to get this measure on the ballot and make sure that the people’s voice gets to be heard,” said Eric Crafton, Metro Councilman. The Election Commission meets today to review and certify the petition signatures. This issue must be resolved by mid-September in order to print the initiative on the ballot.

Nashville Update

Today the Nashville Election Commission certified the required 10,103 signatures needed to put the official English ordinance on the ballot for voter approval this November.

Judge upholds Kansas school’s speak English rule

In a case that drew national attention, a federal judge upheld the right of St. Anne’s Catholic School in Wichita, Kansas and its local diocese to require students to speak English at school. U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Hispanic student, Adam Silva, whose parents had challenged the school’s policy charging it was illegal national origin discrimination.

ProEnglish assisted the school’s legal team and hired a local attorney to represent two St. Anne’s students who were deposed or required to answer questions from the plaintiff’s attorney.

Nashville English initiative passes first hurdle

Aug. 14, 2008

A Nashville official English group led by Metro Councilman Eric Crafton submitted 12,503 petitions from registered voters to the Nashville City Clerk’s office today, one day before the August 15, 2008 qualifying deadline. The number was 2,400 more than the 10,103 petitions needed to put an official English ordinance on the ballot for voter approval this November. The action came in the wake of Crafton’s effort to pass an official English ordinance in 2007 that passed the city council, but was later vetoed by Mayor Bill Purcell.

If the initiative is certified and voters pass it, Nashville will become the largest city in the nation with English as its official language. ProEnglish contributed legal expertise and most of the funding for the initiative campaign.