2 Nevada lawmakers back bill to make English the state’s official language

CARSON CITY — Two Republican state lawmakers are reviving an attempt to make English the official language in Nevada.

State Sen. Don Gustavson of Sparks and Assemblyman Richard McArthur of Las Vegas are co-sponsors of the bill draft request that would require all official state business to be conducted in English, with limited exceptions.

Exact wording has not been drafted, but both Gustavson and McArthur have previously backed similar legislation, though those bills failed to get out of committees.

Gustavson was a primary sponsor of bills to make English Nevada’s official language in 1997 and 2013.

The 2013 proposal required all official documents, transactions, proceedings, meetings and publications to be in English, except when otherwise dictated by state or federal law, to protect public health and safety, or in judicial proceedings when necessary. It also provided exemptions for conducting a census, promoting trade or tourism and providing instruction in a foreign language.

Gustavson also sponsored a failed bill in 2011 requiring driver’s license exams be printed in English.

McArthur, who served in the Assembly from 2008-2012 before he was re-elected in November, was a sponsor of a measure designating English as the official language in 2011.

None of those bills made it to floor votes. The prospect of a bill advancing in the 2017 session is slim after Democrats regained control of both the Senate and Assembly in last year’s election.

Contact Sandra Chereb at schereb@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3821. Follow @SandraChereb on Twitter.