Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: West Virginia Makes Englih Its Official Language

This article appeared on AOL today:
West Virginia Makes English Its Official Language
Measure Inserted Into Bill as Amendment
AP
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (April 12) - Two days after the end of the
legislative session, state lawmakers are discovering something few were
aware of: They voted to make English the official language of West
Virginia.
The language amendment was quietly inserted into a bill addressing the
number of members that cities can appoint to boards of parks and
recreation. Among mundane details about record-keeping, the amendment
adds the provision that "English shall be the official language of the
State of West Virginia."
Senate Majority Whip Billy Wayne Bailey successfully offered that
change to House Bill 2782 amid a flurry of bills moving back and forth
between the House and Senate on Saturday, the last night of the 60-day
legislative session.
"I just told the members that the amendment clarifies the way in which
documents are produced," Bailey, a Democrat, said Monday.
House Majority Leader Rick Staton recommended that his chamber agree
with the Senate's changes. But Staton, also a Democrat, said he was
unaware of the substance of the amendment until asked about it by The
Associated Press Monday evening.
Efforts to make English the state's official language have been
introduced annually since the late 1990s. A group called U.S. English
has championed the cause.
"I think it's wrong that's something like that was snuck into that bill
in the last minute," said House Judiciary Chairman Jon Amores, who
helped kill an earlier proposal to forbid any state or local agency
from having to print documents in any language but English.
A spokeswoman for Gov. Joe Manchin could not immediately be reached for
comment.
Andrew Schneider, executive director of the American Civil Liberties
Union of West Virginia, said English-only laws are based on the false
premise that immigrants will not learn English without government
coercion.
"And English-only laws do nothing constructive to increase English
proficiency. They simply discriminate and punish those who have not yet
learned English," Schneider said.
04/12/05 06:40 EDT
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. The information contained in the
AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise
distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated
Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

 Measure Inserted Into Bill as Amendment
Planning to move east? They're going to need a few more English teachers in
West Virginia now :-)
-- 
Xakero

I'd love to move east (I never really liked California), but if I did,
WV would not be my choice.  
bye
Ari

 Virginia.
What language was it before?
[...]
Bye, FB
-- 
<<"Plano su di lei come un paradiseo imbottito di Taurus... Faccio guizzare
la lingua come un pitone ubriaco". Prendo questo libro, lo butto nel
cestino.>>
(Recensione di Antonio D'Orrico sul Corriere della Sera Magazine)

 What language was it before?
My guess:
no official language, no need to have one.
-- 
God made the Idiot for practice, and then He made the School
Board
    -- Mark Twain


They didn't have one.  Although some states have official languages,
the US as a country does not have one.  
bye
ari