Bob Gibson
Daily Progress political blogger

House Bill 55, which was introduced this week by Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter, R-Woodbridge, would make English the official language of Virginia.

Actually, the legislation looks more like an attempt to stop the state from using other languages unless someone is sick, in school or in court.

Here’s the language of the text of Lingamfelter’s bill in what passes for legislative English:

“Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 1-511 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 1-511. English designated the official language of the Commonwealth.

A. English shall be designated as the official language of the Commonwealth. Except as provided by federal law, no state agency or local government shall be required to provide and no state agency or local government shall be prohibited from or otherwise assist in providing any documents, information, literature or other written materials in any language other than English.

B.  Nothing contained in subsection A shall be construed to prohibit any state agency or local government from providing or assisting in the provision of any documents, information, literature or other written materials in any language other than English in connection with:

1.  Foreign language instruction,

2.  The administration of justice in the courts of the Commonwealth,

3.  Law-enforcement purposes, or

4.  The provision of health care services.”

If Spanish is good enough for hospitals, schools or courtrooms, why couldn’t the state use it for tourism?

The summary of the bill says that it: “States that, except as provided by federal law, English is the official language of the Commonwealth, and no state agency or local government shall provide or otherwise assist in providing any documents, information, literature, or other written materials in any language other than English.  The bill provides exceptions to this general rule for any documents, information, literature, or other written materials in a language other than English used in connection with foreign language instruction, administration of justice in the courts of the Commonwealth, law-enforcement purposes, or the provision of health care services.”

Is the state really doing a lot of stuff in Chinese or Spanish that we don’t know about?

Bob Gibson
Daily Progress political blogger

Unlike most Virginia governors, Tim Kaine appears to be planning to leave office in two years without any plans to run again for elective office.

The Richmond Democrat apparently means it when he tells reporters there is no logical next office for him to seek.

He is planning to do lunch Monday at the University of Virginia center run by the last Virginia governor to exit the office without an electoral reentry plan—former Gov. Gerald Baliles’ Miller Center of Public Affairs. Baliles didn’t arrive at the Miller Center until he hit the Hunton & Williams law firm’s mandatory sweep-partners-out-the-door retirement age of 65.

Most of the governors just prior to and after Baliles thought of themselves as candidates for president and/or the U.S. Senate, otherwise known as the graveyard for presidential aspirants.

Kaine, a civil rights lawyer, must believe there is life after the governor’s mansion that does not involve a public paycheck. The lunch, like the governor’s future, is not on the public schedule.

Lacking a plan to run for office again makes Kaine a little different—and more free to speak his mind. 

Bob Gibson
Daily Progress political blogger

Democrats and Republicans who argue that parties do make a difference may be right.

Can anyone imagine a Republican governor such as Jerry Kilgore warning localities and other officials that cracking down hard on immigrants in the country illegally might hurt the state’s economy?

Gov. Tim Kaine, a Richmond Democrat, responded to questions about immigration at Tuesday’s AP Day at the Capital forum by opposing a patchwork locality-by-locailty set of crackdowns against undocumented immigrants and by warning that making immigrants feel unwelcome would hurt Virginia’s economy.

He warned that officials in the state “have to be extremely careful that we don’t send a message that the commonwealth of Virginia is not a welcoming place for new Americans. That is critical.”