http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01 … y/#contentA woman who was barred from running for a city council seat in Arizona because she doesn't speak English proficiently has appealed the judge's ruling to the state's highest court.
The case has brought national and international attention to the southern Arizona border city of San Luis after Mayor Juan Carlos Escamilla filed a court action asking for a determination on whether Alejandrina Cabrera has the English skills necessary to serve a four-year term on the council.
State law requires elected officials to know English, but Cabrera's attorneys claim the law doesn't define proficiency in the language.
Cabrera told the Yuma Sun that she needs to improve her command of English but said her language skills are adequate for serving the border city of San Luis, where Spanish is used as often as English. She also told the newspaper that she will keep campaigning during the appeal.
Sociolinguistics expert William Eggington presented the court with results of three different tests he administered to Cabrera, who graduated from Kofa High School in Yuma. One measured her English-speaking skill, another was to determine if she reads the language, and the third was to assess her level of English comprehension.
Eggington's report said Cabrera's English skills did not meet the level of language proficiency needed to serve on the council.
From another source, I think CNN, the town she wants to be on the council of is 98% Hispanic. Most of them are probably citizens of Mexico and speak Spanish as their first language. She is more than likely representative of the people she wants to serve.
So should she be barred from city council because she doesn't speak the nation's official language well enough?
On a sidenote- read the Fox comment sections. ATG's everywhere.
