MADISON —A Republican lawmaker has reintroduced a bill that would make English the official language in Wisconsin, saying it will encourage immigrants to learn the language and improve their prospects in the state. Rep. Andre Jacque’s proposal also would require state and local government to write all their documents in English. Exceptions can be made in individual cases as well as to teach another language and protect a criminal defendant’s rights. The bill would not restrict the use of a language other than English for non-governmental purposes. The bill’s prospects are murky at best. Republicans in Washington, D.C, are wrestling with immigration reform as they try to make themselves look more attractive to a broader cross-section of the nation’s population after the GOP lost the 2012 presidential elections. But Jacque, of DePere, is pressing on. In a telephone interview Monday, he said he believes the bill will provide immigrants an incentive to learn English, which in turn will help them find jobs. “Despite a broad spectrum of viewpoints on U.S. education or immigration policy, there is widespread agreement that English proficiency is critical to societal integration, future success and achieving the American Dream,” he wrote in a memo to his fellow lawmakers soliciting co-sponsors. He also noted Monday that more than two dozen states have already made English their official language; 31 states have made English their official language, according to U.S. English, Inc., a citizens action group that works to preserve the language in the United States. “It makes a lot of sense,” Jacque said
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 02:15:47 +0000