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English-only proposal defeated in Nashville referendum
AFP - Saturday, January 24
CHICAGO (AFP) - - A proposal to prohibit the city of Nashville, Tennessee from providing services in languages other than English was defeated in a referendum, unofficial results showed Friday.
"This is a great night for Nashville," mayor Karl Dean said in a statement.
"The results of this special election reaffirm Nashville's identity as a welcoming and friendly city, and our ability to come together as a community -- from all walks of life and perspectives -- to work together for a common cause for the good of our city."
The state of Tennessee declared English its official language in a 1984 law which stated that all government communication and public school instruction "shall be conducted in English unless the nature of the course would require otherwise."
But a local city council member thought the law did not go far enough and argued that "English is under attack" and that the city was wasting taxpayer money providing translation services.
After an English-only ordinance was vetoed by the previous mayor in 2006, councilman Eric Crafton proposed the referendum to amend the city and county charter so that all official actions and communications could only be conducted in English.
While the amendment allowed for exceptions to protect health and safety and comply with state and federal laws, it faced intense opposition from local politicians, unions, businesses, academics and faith-based groups.
The amendment was defeated by a vote of 41,752 to 32,144 in a special election held Thursday.
Some 30 states have adopted legislation declaring English as their official language, according to the activist group Pro English.
Enforcement is spotty and many of those laws have been successfully challenged in federal court. State and local agencies can also be denied federal funding if they do not provide certain services in multiple languages.
About 13.3 percent of Nashville's population speaks a language other then English at home, Census data show. Nationally, 19.5 percent os Americans speak a language other than English at home, data show.
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A sign displayed at a US restaurant in Chicago. A proposal to prohibit the city of Nashville, Tennessee from providing services in languages other than English was defeated in a referendum, unofficial results showed Friday.
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