From: Steven Graham Belant

Subject: Nur la Angla en Arizona Usono

To: rebato-l@netcom.com

Cc: Steven Graham Belant

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I communicate worldwide in an Steve Mi komunikas monde

international second language __ _ _ __ _ _ _ ___ _ internacidualingve

allowing us all to relate |_ (_ |_)|_ |_)/_|| | / allasante al cxiuj

to one another as equals. |__._)| |__| | || | | _/ ni rilati egalule.

____________________________________________________________________________

Info & Free Mail Course: or ftp ftp.netcom.com /pub/elna

San Francisco Chronicle

Nation

Thursday, December 8, 1994

Page A3, Column A

"English-Only Initiative Found Unconstitutional"

Associated Press

Arizona's "official English" initiative, which requires

state and local governments to conduct virtually all

business in English, violates public employees' freedom of

speech, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday.

At state may be entitled to promote unity by encouraging use

of a common language but cannot do it by outlawing other

languages, said the U.A. Court of Appeals in San Francisco

in a 30-to-0 ruling.

Judge Stephen Reinhardt said the initiative also interferes

with the ability of non-English speakers to receive

information and makes government less effective.

Attorney General Grant Woods said he does not plan to

appeal, although he will ask Governor Fife Symington whether

he wants to challenge the ruling.

The initiative's sponsor, Arizonans for Official English,

will either seek a rehearing or appeal to the Supreme Court,

said the groups's chairman, Robert Park.

The measure was approved in 1988 by 50.5 percent of the

voters but has never been enforced. Opponents sued the day

after the election in 1990, and U.S. District Judge Paul

Rosenblatt ruled the measure unconstitutional of free-speech

grounds.

The court said 17 other states have "official English" laws,

but they differ from Arizona's in that they appear to be

mainly symbolic.

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