Tribune staff editorial

It’s hard to imagine what could be achieved by a bill in the Iowa legislature that would make English the official language of the state, other than an exercise in nationalistic pomp.

Tuesday, February 05, 2002

It’s hard to imagine what could be achieved by a bill in the Iowa legislature that would make English the official language of the state, other than an exercise in nationalistic pomp.

Democrats on a House committee that approved the bill tried to stall its passage by proposing a stack of amendments, but Republicans ignored their tactic and the bill was approved by a 13-5 vote.

Choosing an &uot;official&uot; language for a state ranks up there in importance with Minnesota’s famous designation of an &uot;official&uot; state muffin (blueberry) or an &uot;official&uot; state butterfly (the monarch).

The idea is a transparent token proposal to satisfy people made uncomfortable by immigration. Such laws are not good public policy and serve little purpose for the good of the state.