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NASHVILLE — Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, the Senate speaker, said Thursday he favors a more flexible approach than a House bill that requires the written portion of all driver’s license exams be in English with no exceptions for legal immigrants and visitors such as Volkswagen and Nissan executives.
“I like the bill we passed in the Senate a couple of years ago that said driver’s license tests should be given in English unless you prove there’s a reason it shouldn’t be,” Lt. Gov. Ramsey, R-Blountville, told reporters.
“So if you’re here with a foreign embassy, you’re here on a visa and you need to get that, that’s one thing. But if you’re here illegally, then you shouldn’t be able to do that. So the bill we (Senate) passed a year or so ago and (that) never passed the House, I think, is the way to go — not just a blanket statement.”
Last year’s Senate bill stated that someone who presents documentation demonstrating their presence in the U.S. is authorized by the U.S. secretary of Homeland Security can take a driver’s license exam in German, Korean, Japanese or Spanish.
Rep. Eric Watson, R-Cleveland, a Bradley County Sheriff’s Department lieutenant, is sponsoring the bill that stops the written portion of driver’s license exams be provided only in English. The driving portion of the test is already conducted entirely in English.
The issue is one of safety, Rep. Watson argued.
“This bill is going to put thousands of tax dollars back into our budget,” he said earlier in the week. “Most of all, it’s going to make it safer for drivers on Tennessee roadways. I’ve heard everything that this is an immigration bill or a business bill, it has nothing to do with this. This is a safety bill.”
The measure, House Bill 262, is opposed by Volkswagen, which is building a plant in Chattanooga, and lawmakers said Nissan opposes it as well. Japan’s Consultate-General in Nashville has gone on record opposing it as well, according to state officials.
Earlier this week, members of the House Public Safety Subcommittee of the Transportation Committee approved the Watson bill on a 4-1-1 vote.
Andy Sher is a Nashville-based staff writer covering Tennessee state government and politics for the Times Free Press. A Washington correspondent from 1999-2005 for the Times Free Press, Andy previously headed up state Capitol coverage for The Chattanooga Times, worked as a state Capitol reporter for The Nashville Banner and was a contributor to The Tennessee Journal, among other publications. Andy worked for 17 years at The Chattanooga Times covering police, health care, county government, ...
The issue on whether foreign students, executives, physicians, or professors can drive on TN roads while they are TEMPORARILY here is not a mitigating factor. Those people are already allowed to drive with their respective licenses, according to the TN department of safety.
As long as their license is accompanied with a VALID visa and throughout its valid period AND they have an English translated license document, they can NOW drive on our roads.
What I am supporting, as an American citizen, is to ensure public safety is adhered to on all our TN roads. When there are people who come to TN legally and are wanting to drive, driving is a privilege; not a right!
When they decide to become permanent residents of our country, of our state, then they need to take the license exam in English.
As a voter, I am tired of politicians pandering for votes.
As I testified on March 9th, this is NOT an issue of race, of ethnicity and surely NOT of being friendly.
It is an issue of public safety.
Foreign executives are concerned and interested in tax credits, tax savings and economic development incentives. These companies bring over far fewer executives than the Americans they claim, purport and promise to hire.
As a product of public education, I am appalled that many schools in our country—perhaps even TN, are cutting classes in music, arts and PE to save money. We all can come to some agreement that these courses are critical to a child’s academic career. So if TN is looking at saving money and allocating those saved dollars to public education, then why continue funding multiple languages for a driver’s license exam, which is a privilege to the tune of nearly $ 200K or more per year?
In closing, as recent TV commercials for Toyota depict countless of Toyota mechanics with black, white, brown and yellow faces proclaiming that they are unified in safety with us because they TOO are moms, dads, with children and parents and they TOO drive Toyotas, well the same is to be said that we ALL share the same roads whether it be driving a Toyota, Chevy, Ford, or Mercedes but what must UNITE us ALL for public safety is that the driver’s license exam be administered solely in English.
Lives are not to be risked to appease any one group or make this privileged opportunity to drive an easier process for the sake of being friendly or accommodating.
When a person is injured or killed due to a motorist's inability to read and understand a written sign, I am sure the excuse or as the VW lobbyist said “hospitality” of "let's continue being friendly to license applicants" will be not be accepted.
Must we wait until then?
Please pass this bill for the safety of all who drive on our Tennessee roads.
Eddie Garcia PS: I am an American citizen and an independent. So please don't tag me to any one party for your personal benefit.
Nashmusic, it doesn't matter what anyone thinks of you or your party affiliation as long as you know who you are. Good post, by the way.
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