English Language Advocates
News Release
Sept. 27, 2000

The head of English Language Advocates (ELA) hailed yesterday's announcement that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear Alexander v. Sandoval (case no. 99-1908), a case of enormous importance to the official English movement. ELA is a national organization that advocates for official English laws nationally and at the state level, and has specialized in defending such laws in court.

Martha Sandoval, a non-English speaking resident alien from Mexico, brought suit against the state of Alabama charging that the state's policy of giving its drivers' license exams only in English constitutes national origin discrimination and is therefore illegal under Title VI of the civil rights law. The US Justice Department joined the suit on behalf of the plaintiff and won decisions at district and court of appeals levels. Alabama, which changed its drivers' license policy after voters passed an official English initiative by a 9 to 1 margin in 1990, had appealed the lower court rulings to the Supreme Court.

ELA Executive Director K.C. McAlpin said that the case will give the high court the opportunity to decide on at least two questions of major significance to the country's language policies: (1) whether the federal government and federal agencies can expand civil rights laws by simply issuing regulations, and (2) whether the Clinton Administration can redefine "national origin discrimination" under Title VI of the civil rights law to include the failure of a federal (or federally funded) agency to provide services in any foreign language on demand.

The Clinton Administration has already cited the Sandoval lower court decision as grounds for issuing Executive Order 13166, August 11th that requires all federal agencies to provide meaningful access to their services in any language used by a non-English speaking client.

"Hopefully, those of us who believe in the constitutional separation of powers will find out whether the Clinton Administration can continue transforming this country into a modern version of the Tower of Babel without the consent of the American people. It's time for the Supreme Court to tell this Administration that we are not yet a government of arbitrary rule," he added.

The Supreme Court put the case on a fast track with oral arguments expected as early as January. McAlpin said that ELA would file a legal brief supporting Alabama.

For more information contact:
K.C. McAlpin, (703) 816-8821