LITTLE ROCK — A proposal to bar Arkansas from providing driver's license exams in any language other than English has failed.
The proposal by Republican Rep. Jon Hubbard of Jonesboro received a 49-37 vote on Wednesday in the House, short of the majority votes needed to approve the legislation. Hubbard's proposal requires that the written exam only be administered in English.
The state currently will provide the written exam in Spanish on request. Hubbard called his proposal a safety issue and noted that traffic and construction signs around the state are in English.
Hubbard was the sponsor of legislation rejected by a House panel last month that would have prohibited Arkansas from offering state benefits for illegal immigrants except during emergencies or when life-saving measures are required.