U.S. Supreme Court overturns "Sandoval" ruling;
Decision protects states' Official English law
In a major victory for the pro-English movement, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that Marta Sandoval cannot sue the state of Alabama to overturn its official English laws.  
    The court had heard arguments this January in the case of Sandoval v. Alexander. ProEnglish filed an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief, arguing that the state of Alabama had the right to require that drivers' license exams be conducted in English. Joining ProEnglish as sponsors of the brief were the Center for American Unity, the English First Foundation and fourteen members of Congress, listed below.
  In 1996, Martha Sandoval, a Spanish-speaking resident alien from Mexico, sued the state alleging Alabama's policy constituted "national origin discrimination" under Title VI of the Civil Rights law.  She won decisions at the district and appeals court levels.  Under the lower court's interpretation, failure to provide benefits or services in foreign languages constitutes discrimination on the basis of national origin. 
     Although Sandoval was decided on the narrow issue of whether or not an individual can sue a government agency over alleged discrimination, the majority decision reverses lower court decisions that sought to nullify Alabama's official English law.  Moreover, had it not been overturned, Sandoval would have created a new entitlement to government services in any foreign language demanded. "This is a great victory for common sense, democracy, and the rule of law," said ProEnglish executive director K.C. McAlpin.
          "The repeated, lop-sided victory of official English laws on the ballot in many states over the last twenty years, shows clearly that the American people have no desire to see their country transformed into a multi-lingual 'Tower of Babel' by multicultural advocates and judicial activists," he added.  McAlpin called on Congress to settle the issue of language once and for all by passing a law declaring English the official language of government in the United States.  
     The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case on an expedited schedule, allowing the case to be heard in this session.  ProEnglish's brief was co-sponsored by Reps. Thomas Tancredo (R-CO), Spencer Bachus (R-AL), Bob Barr (R-GA), John Doolittle (R-CA), Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Ernest Istook (R-OK), Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), William Lipinski (D-IL), Charlie Norwood (R-GA), Ron Paul (R-TX), Bob Riley (R-AL), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Nick Smith (R-MI), and Bob Stump (R-AZ). 

U.S. Supreme Court's decision
ProEnglish's amicus brief