WASHINGTON, DC -- (Marketwire) -- 02/25/13 -- U.S.English Chairman Mauro E. Mujica today applauded Nevada State Senator Don Gustavson for his introduction of a bill to recognize English as the official language of the state.

"Declaring English the official language of Nevada will reverse the message that English is optional in the Silver State and serve as an added incentive for non-English speakers to become English proficient," Chairman Mujica said. "More than 300,000 Nevada residents, or 12 percent of the state's population, are only able to speak English less than very well. Removing the requirement for the state government to translate into foreign languages will help encourage these non-English speakers to learn the common language of Nevada -- and the United States. This will put all residents on a level playing field and will allow immigrants to raise themselves out of the low-skill, low-paying jobs traditionally held by those who are not English proficient."

State Sen. Gustavson's bill, SB 188, was referred to the Committee on Government Affairs, where it awaits further consideration. If the legislation passes the State Legislature and is signed into law, Nevada would become the thirty-second state to recognize English as the official language.

U.S.English, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest non-partisan citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States. Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California, U.S.English, Inc. (www.usenglish.org) now has more than 1.8 million members.

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