February 12 , 2007: ACLU-TN Applauds Mayor Purcell's Veto on English-Only Ordinance

For Immediate Release
February 12, 2007

For More Information, Contact: Hedy Weinberg,
615-320-7142

ACLU-TN Applauds Mayor Purcell's Veto on English-Only Ordinance

Nashville – The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) praised Mayor Bill Purcell’s decision today to veto the English-Only Ordinance that was passed last week by the Metro Nashville Council.

According to Hedy Weinberg, “Mayor Purcell did the right thing today. His veto sends an important message to Nashvillians and others across the state and country that Nashville is a welcoming community and that that the bond that unites our city is not linguistic or ethnic homogeneity but a shared commitment to democracy, liberty, and equality.”

Since last Fall, ACLU-TN has lobbied council members to vote against the “English-Only” ordinance because it violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and was inconsistent with Equal Protection under both the U.S. and Tennessee constitutions. In addition, ACLU-TN argued that the proposal perpetuated false stereotypes of immigrants and non-English speakers and was simply bad policy.

Weinberg described English-Only proposals as “contrary to the spirit of liberty and diversity embodied in our Constitution.”

ACLU-TN joined with a wide-range of organizations lobbying against the ordinance including, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, Tennessee Restaurant Association, Greater Nashville Hotel and Lodging Association, Connexion Americas, Tennessee Immigrant and Refuge Rights Coalition, Catholic Charities of Tennessee, and Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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