Florida Is Only Offering Driver’s License Tests In English Because Why Not
In another attack on people who speak English as a second language, Florida is transitioning to English-only driver’s license tests. The new rule goes into effect on Friday, Feb, 6. Changing all the knowledge and skill-based tests to English is being framed as a move to make roads safer. However, it is really just another way to disenfranchise Latinos and try to enforce some kind of identity hierarchy. Here’s what you should know about the racially charged and xenophobic law.
Florida is making its driver’s license tests English-only
Florida will start administering driver’s license and learner’s permit tests only in English starting Friday, Feb. 6. The announcement, made on Jan. 30, claimed that the decision was made to make roads safer in Florida. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) is making updates to the testing system. The update eliminates the options for other languages. The English-only policy extends to oral exams as well.
“Previously, knowledge exams for most non-commercial driver license classifications were offered in multiple languages, while commercial learner’s permit (CLP) and commercial driver license (CDL) knowledge exams were only available in English and Spanish,” a press release from the agency stated. “Under the updated policy, all driver license knowledge and skills testing will be conducted in English.”
The statewide change to testing comes after the federal government started cracking down on commercial drivers who don’t speak English. Authorities recently removed thousands of drivers from the roads after they failed mandatory roadside English proficiency tests.
“Federal law is clear, a driver who cannot sufficiently read or speak English — our national language — and understand road signs is unqualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle in America,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. “This commonsense standard should have never been abandoned.”
The decision is going to make voting even harder
Florida has a strict voter ID law requiring anyone going to vote to show a signed picture identification. There is a list of acceptable identification cards for voting. Many are out of reach for a lot of people. Driver’s licenses are one of the easiest to obtain. But even those cost money and time that some people can’t afford.
Making driver’s license tests English-only appears to be a thinly-veiled attempt to disenfranchise and suppress voters. Studies show that naturalized citizens are more likely to align with the Democratic Party. According to a KFF-Los Angeles Times survey, 32 percent of immigrants overall are more likely to align with th Democratic Party. This is double the amount of immigrants overall who align with the Republican Party, which is 16 percent. When looking specifically at naturalized citizens, the same wide gap persists. Among naturalized citizens, 37 percent align with the Democratic Party and 22 percent align with the Republican Party.
The Florida government has made no mystery about its desire to be teachers’ pets for the Trump administration. The state government fast-tracked a detention center in the Everglades, but a court order forced officials to abandon it. The Florida legislature once went around Gov. Ron DeSantis when he was out of favor with President Trump to work with the federal government directly.
The decision to punish people for speaking a different language by taking away driving privileges is Florida’s latest attempt to curry favor. It is a cowardly attempt to further otherize our community. According to USA Facts, 23. 4 percent of Florida residents speak Spanish at home, and 2.4 million of them live in the Miami area.
