Making English the official language of Michigan is what the state House has voted to do. Charlotte Republican state Representative Tom Barrett, who sponsored the measure which passed yesterday, spoke on the House floor Thursday.
“We have 150 languages estimated to be spoken in Michigan today,” Barrett said. “I agree that we have a very diverse state, but don’t you think that diversity with no shared values, experiences, or commonality drives us deeper and deeper into our corners and into our silos?”
The bill would require English to be used in public records, but state departments and local governments still could publish documents in other languages in addition to English. The bill passed largely along party lines.
