Thank you for the opportunity to be here and to comment on S.F. 165. The Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO represents 120,000 AFL-CIO union members in Iowa and on their behalf I urge you to oppose this legislation.

The Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO opposes this effort to make English the official language. The Federation urges officials to make public information, particularly information about labor rights, health, education and law enforcement available in as many languages as possible. Isolating immigrants who have not yet learned English will not lead to more effective integration, but only to exploitation and discrimination.

The Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO recognizes the preeminent role of English in our society and believes that learning English and other languages is in our state and nation’s best interest.

The 1990 Census indicated that 97% of the population speaks English. A General Accounting Office study indicates that 99.9 percent of government documents are written in English.

The Federation believes the issue is NOT to punish and chastise people for using their native language. But rather the issue is to provide vehicles for immigrants to learn English. We believe this current proposal is hypocritical in that it lacks funding for English Second Language (ESL) educational efforts.

This English Only effort is led by those hostile to immigrants and minorities—those who seek to create language burdens for Latino, African and Asian immigrants. Prior European immigrant populations were never subjected to these burdensome infringements on our Constitutional right to Freedom of Speech.

With so many important challenges facing this state, the use of time and resources on this divisive, politically-motivated issue is truly a wonder. I would urge the legislature to focus on the needs of Iowa’s working families and not be so concerned with political gamesmanship.

Again, I urge you to oppose the legislation.