English became the official language of Georgia Monday, just as Olympic organizers scrambled to transform Atlanta into an international city in time for the Summer Games.
A new state law, passed by the Legislature earlier this year to become effective July 1, designates English as the primary language of government. That means all government meetings must be conducted and government records kept in English.Critics have derided the legislation as a xenophobic "English-only" measure, intended as a symbolic stand against the rising tide of multiculturalism in American society.
The law imposes no restrictions on language services for Olympic visitors. Nor does it contravene the International Olympic Committee's designation of English and French as the official languages of the international athletic fete.
However, it has been criticized as an embarrassment for Georgia at a time when the state is preparing to greet an estimated 2 million visitors to the Olympic Games.
The bill's author, Republican state Sen. Mike Crotts, says the legislation was never meant to address cultural issues. Instead, it was intended to stop tax money from being spent to record deeds, wills and other government transactions in languages other than English.
"There are 166 languages spoken in Georgia," said Crotts, who represents Conyers, Georgia. "The reason we can't practically operate government in multiple languages is that, first of all, economically, we can't afford it."
Under the law, individuals can still file documents in foreign languages. But now they also must pay for an English translation that is filed simultaneously.