Opponents in the House get one more chance to criticize the effort before a resolution calling for English to be proclaimed the official language of Missouri easily wins approval and moves to the Senate.
Supporters stay quiet, knowing they have the numbers, allowing opponents to dominate debate, but not the vote. Rep. John Burnett (D-Kansas City) questions the motives of those pushing the bill, claiming politics moves this resolution forward. Burnett charges that Republicans have pushed the resolution, HJR 7 , believing that it will drive people to the polls in 2008 who will vote for them. He calls it a wedge issue that majority Republicans believe favors them. The resolution would make English the language of official proceedings in Missouri. If the legislature approves the resolution, it does go to a vote of the people.
Rep. Jeanette Mott-Oxford (D-St. Louis) says the House has wasted its time on the measure. She points out English is the common language and citizens must speak it to join in the common American culture. The House as a whole has brushed aside such comments, approving the resolution by a vote of 124-to-28. It now goes to the Senate.