ATLANTA (AP) - The Georgia Senate on Tuesday approved a bill
that would require the state to conduct drivers license tests in
English only.
Currently the exams are conducted in about a dozen languages,
including Spanish, Korean, Russian, Polish and Japanese. The bill's
sponsor, Republican state Sen. Jack Murphy, said asking potential
Georgia drivers to answer 20 questions in English is not too much
of a burden.
Murphy, a Cumming Republican, said six other states already
conduct drivers tests in English only.
Critics said the bill sends the wrong message as the state
recruits foreign companies, like Kia.
State Sen. Nan Orrock, an Atlanta Democrat, complained that the
test makes allowances for illiterate Georgians but not those who
speak foreign languages.
The bill passed 37-14.
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