Colorado Resolution Would Ban Spanish Books

-- Críticas, 5/15/2006

The battle over immigration, and libraries’ services to Spanish speakers, has been ratcheted up in Colorado, where Rep. David Schultheis (R-Colorado Springs) is asking the Colorado legislature to put an English-only proposal before voters in November. The resolution would ban the state from publishing information in Spanish and bar public libraries from “purchasing any printed or electronic documents, publications, or other materials in a language other than English.” Instructional and reference materials would be exempt. Unmentioned is any attempt to bar Internet use in foreign languages. Concurrent resolutions require a two-thirds majority in the House and Senate to get on to the ballot before citizens can vote on them, reported the Denver Post. Schultheis, a hard-liner on illegal immigration told the Post he doesn’t think his English requirement would harm anyone. “Most of these people already know many people who know English as well, and can have their interpreters come [when they visit state offices],” he said.