Driver's Test Only In English Under House Measures

Lawmakers on House committees voted today to require that driver’s license tests be provided only in English and to also make English the official language of Oklahoma government.

“As our common American language, English and the ‘melting pot’ process it supports has made the United States the most successful multi-ethnic nation in history,” said Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore. “Unfortunately, the recent drive to linguistically Balkanize our nation makes it harder for legal immigrants to assimilate while also creating potential hazards for other Oklahomans."

House Bill 2252, by Terrill, eliminates the current requirement for the Department of Public Safety to provide driver’s license tests in Spanish.

Terrill noted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s regulations require drivers engaged in interstate commerce to “read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries and to make entries on reports and records.”

Action now moves to the House floor.

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