Washington – Conservative House members tried on Wednesday to end a requirement in the 1965 Voting Rights Act that bilingual ballots and interpreters be provided in states and counties where large numbers of citizens speak limited English.
The House Judiciary Committee rejected the effort. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said voting in English should pose no problem for any citizen.
“If you are born in America, you should know English,” he said. “If you are a naturalized citizen, you should have passed an English-proficiency test.”
The committee voted 26-9 against amending the law, which ended racist practices such as poll taxes and literacy tests in Southern states, so it no longer would require the bilingual ballots and interpreters. The chairman, Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., expressed regret that the immigration and voting-rights issues had become enmeshed.
“Here we are not dealing with illegal immigrants; we are dealing with U.S. citizens,” Sensenbrenner said.
He has angered many Latinos as the author of a House-passed bill that would make being an illegal immigrant a felony.
About 500 political subdivisions in 31 states must offer bilingual assistance. Of those states, five – Alaska, Arizona, California, Texas and New Mexico – must provide the assistance statewide.
Later, the committee voted 46-1 to extend the law, due to expire next year, for 25 more years.
Only Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, who offered the amendment to strike the bilingual ballots, voted no.
