Senate delays driver’s license bill

By John Rodgers, NashvilleCityPaper.com
February 27, 2007

A bill up for consideration Monday to put driver’s license tests in English only was delayed in the state Senate because of concerns that it would send the wrong signal to businesses and hurt economic development.

Sen. Roy Herron (D-Dresden) requested the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro) to delay the bill for one week.

Herron made the request so Ketron could talk to Matt Kisber, the commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community development, about Kisber’s concerns “about sending the wrong signal at a delicate time” for recruiting businesses to Tennessee.

“I know that he does have some concern about sending a signal that could be interpreted, or misinterpreted, by other economic and community development officials in other states who are competing with us for those jobs,” Herron said on the Senate floor.

Kisber had e-mailed Senators expressing his concerns, Herron said, and had called Ketron and left a message. Ketron said he had not yet checked it.

Herron specifically mentioned Toyota and the automaker’s consideration of building a plant in Chattanooga.

It was later pointed out by Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville) that news had broken that Toyota had chosen Tupelo, Miss., as the site of its new plant.

Ketron said that the English-only bill would not send the wrong signal because of an amendment he’s put on the bill that would allow some people to take the exams in languages besides English.

The amendment would require an applicant that wants to take the test in languages besides English to presents documents from the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security that shows they’ve been authorized to be in the country.

They can then take the tests in three other languages already allowed by law — Korean, Japanese or Spanish.

“The majority of people who will come under this bill have the documentation,” Ketron said. “It doesn’t present a problem to them.”

After questioning from Senate Democratic Leader Jim Kyle (D-Memphis), Ketron said that the Department of Safety is already doing what his amendment requires if the applicants have the right documentation.

Ketron says driver’s license tests should be in English only to make state roads safer so everyone can read the road signs and to “set a tone” that English is the language of the United States.