Decades of case law assume individual people have that right, and common sense dictates that Congress wanted people to be able to enforce the new civil rights that the law guaranteed, Sandoval's lawyers argued. Lawyers for Alabama said the reach of Congress' power to condition the receipt of federal money is limited by the need for states to understand the terms of the deal with absolute clarity. A long list of conservative legal groups sided with the state, including the Eagle Forum and the Pacific Legal Foundation, as did the National Association of Manufacturers and others who say employers must be able to require use of English in many workplaces. But the state claimed the driver's exam rules did not discriminate intentionally and had nothing to do with the several million dollars of federal aid the Department of Public Safety receives each year. Alabama is among 25 states that have passed laws designating English as the official state language.
Supporters say the laws improve efficiency and promote the learning of English.
Critics call the laws anti-immigrant or racist. Numerous liberal and civil rights groups sided with Sandoval, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Center on Race Poverty and the Environment. The case is Alexander v. Sandoval, 99-1908.