Canyon County commissioners approve English-only rule
CALDWELL, Idaho –Virtually all of Canyon County’s reports, forms, brochures and signs will be issued only in English from now on, county commissioners have decided.
The commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to ban the distribution of any county-generated materials in any language other than English, the Idaho Press-Tribune reported.
Commissioner Robert Vasquez, an ardent opponent of illegal immigration, wrote the resolution at the request of commissioners Matt Beebe and David Ferdinand.
“It’s imperative and prudent to take these actions now and to have some framework in place to protect the citizens of Canyon County,” Vasquez said.
The commissioners made the decision after the manager of the county’s print shop said workers were getting several requests to print items in Spanish, county spokeswoman Angie Sillonis said. The printing office does not have a translator on staff, so a worker in the county’s information technology department was translating items on a case-by-case basis, Sillonis said.
The commissioners feared that an inadvertent translation error could open the county up to lawsuits, she said.
“Plus, it’s the language of the land and that’s how it should be,” Vasquez said. “I don’t care if you speak Swahili, Farsi, Bosnian, or Spanish. This makes it more convenient and safer for everyone.”
But critics say the decision was a move in the wrong direction, and that it sends a poor message to people who are in the county legally and are still learning to speak English.
“No one learns English overnight,” said Sam Byrd, director of the Center for Community and Justice. “This action doesn’t mean people will magically learn English overnight, just because the commissioners want them to.”
The rule doesn’t affect all county documents – federal law requires that some, such as Miranda rights forms used by the Canyon County Jail, be made available in other languages as well.
Interpreters and translated documents will still be available in both magistrate and district courts, and the emergency dispatch center will still use interpreters as needed.