ProEnglish
News Release
Feb. 6, 2001

(Arlington, VA) The head of ProEnglish, the nation's leading defender of official English laws in court, announced the organization is filing a friend-of-the-court brief upholding Utah's official English law in the case of Anderson  v. Utah [case no. 909680] in the third district court of Utah today.

In filing the brief, ProEnglish executive director K.C. McAlpin said, "It is no more unreasonable or discriminatory for the people of Utah to choose one language, English, as the official language of their government than it is for a business to choose a single software standard for computer networks. Such decisions are essential for efficiency, communication, understanding, and unity," he added.

McAlpin blasted the attitude of Utah's state officials who are refusing to vigorously defend the law that was enacted overwhelmingly by a nearly 70 percent margin of Utah's voters. "The Utah Attorney General's refusal to vigorously defend the constitutionality of this law is outrageous," McAlpin charged.  "The people are the government and they have spoken very loudly in favor of adopting English as the official language in which they will act. The Attorney General's duty is to uphold all the laws of the State of Utah - not just those laws with which he personally agrees," McAlpin said.

Background information about this case and information about ProEnglish can be accessed on the Internet at: www.proenglish.org.
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Mr. McAlpin is available for interviews on official English and related issues. Call (703) 816-8821 to arrange an interview.