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.
