House approves English only driving tests

JEFFERSON CITY (MISSOURI DIGITAL NEWS) - Missouri driving tests would be administered only in English under a bill approved by the House.

The House gave first-round approval Wednesday to allow driving tests to be administered only in English. Currently, the driving test can be taken in 12 languages, including English. The bill sponsor, Rep. Jerry Nolte, R-Gladstone, said the bill would make Missouri roads safer by requiring the driving test to be administered in the same language that appears on street signs.

"At the highway speeds, people need to understand what the signs written in English say, really quickly," Nolte said in a previous interview about his bill.

The Democratic floor leader, Rep. Mike Talboy, D-Kansas City, disagreed.

"A stop sign is a stop sign is a stop sign," Talboy said.

Nolte also said his bill would save the states from lawsuits for not offering tests in certain languages besides English. Nolte said the state of Oklahoma was sued in 2007 for not offering a test in Farsi.

"We would be saving ourselves from liability," Nolte said.

Talboy said he wasn't buying the argument.

"We are fearing a lawsuit that hasn't happened yet...this would be a ruse," Talboy said.

Some lawmakers expressed concern that the bill would deprive immigrants of necessary means to work.

"This seems counter-intuitive ... this is not only insulting but cruel," Talboy said.

Nolte said, "Driving is a privilege, not a right."

Opponents said the bill would strip the Highway Patrol, which administers the driving test, of their autonomy.

Rep. Sara Lampe, D-Springfield, said that 10,000 driving tests were administered in a language other than English last year. Of those tests, Lampe said only 3,000 test-takers were given their driver's license.

"We need to trust the guys in the uniform ... [this bill] would be in slap in the face to Highway Patrol," Lampe said.

The House also discussed an abortion bill that would prohibit late-term abortions in Missouri. The House took no action on the bill Wednesday and will take it up at a later session.

The English-only driving bill passed and it needs one more round of approval from the House before moving to the Senate.

Jordan Shapiro, Missouri Digial News

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Mo. House bill would require English driver's license tests

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Republican legislators in Missouri have proposed a bill that may soon require all driving examinations to be conducted in English.

Currently, Missouri residents can take the exam in 12 languages and hire a state-approved translator at their expense, to assist with the driving test if needed.

Under the proposed law, applicants must take the written test in English or have it read to them.

Those in favor of the law say it is an issue of safety.

One of the bill’s supporters is State Representative Wayne Wallingford, who serves Cape Girardeau. He believes that drivers need to be able to understand all road signs, not just the ones on the test.

“You see a lot of signs, like the flashing digital ones, that talk about icy conditions and road hazards and things like that and none of them are in any other languages. So that could really be a safety issue as well,” Wallingford says.

Opponents argue that it will impede on immigrants’ ability to participate fully in society.

Zahir Ahmed, Executive Director of International Education and Services at Southeast Missouri State University, believes that this will affect those brought in to the U.S. to do specific, highly specialized jobs.

“This country not only brings international students, but also hires, brings warrants to get the top researchers and top people from other countries to come and work in the U.S for the betterment of the country,” Ahmed said.

Ahmed said many of these workers bring their families with them and the change in law will initially make it more difficult for them to carry on their daily lives.

Ahmed went on to say that most of the international students on campus come here with enough fluency of the language to take the test in English.

Matthew Caldwell, KRCU

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