Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
6:27 am Thursday, January 31, 2008

I like 'no English, no license'

By Staff
Jerry Fancher
I agree with Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow that the driver's license examination should only be given in English. If a person cannot read English, how can they follow the laws of the highway and read the signs. If a person does not understand the rules of the road, how can they safely operate a vehicle?
Sen. Roger Bedford has a different view about this law. He says that it will hurt the pro business image that Alabama has developed with foreign corporations who have recently located in Alabama. He said "…It may hurt the image of the state if those people are here and they can't even drive on our roads."
I find it hard to believe that a foreign company would send over executives to work here that do not have a command of the English Language. I would think that giving instructions to employees through an interpreter would hinder the plants productivity.
Perhaps, Sen. Bedford would like to rethink his position on this important legislation, or give his real reason for opposing the bill.
The article also points out that any legislation must be approved by a 60 percent majority, until the Legislature has passed the state budgets. The state budgets never are passed until the twelfth hour. This is an opportunity for both Rep. Morrow and Sen. Bedford to exhibit statesmanship and change the rules of the Legislature to modernize the flow of bills in an orderly fashion.
The citizens of Alabama have suffered many times because these rules have been used to stifle the flow of bills through our Legislature.
These rules are used so a minority of House and Senate members can dictate our Legislative process.
Tuesday is Presidential Primary day in Alabama. Ask, which candidate best reflects your views on the issues? Make your voice count, vote Tuesday.
Jerry Fancher is Chairman of the Franklin County Republican Executive Committee. He can be reached via email at fancherjd@yahoo.com

Also on Franklin County Times
Kiwanis Club returns; Key Club planned
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
April 1, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The Kiwanis Club has returned to Russellville. Members gathered last week at Calvary Baptist Church to review bylaws, elect officers an...
Bridge work moves forward on SR 243
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
April 1, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Construction of a new bridge over Cedar Creek on SR 243 is moving forward as crews recently completed a major step in the project. Last...
Neighbors steps down as chairman of Democrats
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
April 1, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Rick Neighbors has stepped down as chair of the Franklin County Democratic Executive Committee, citing personal commitments he said no ...
Kiel named a 2026 ‘Emerging Leader’
News, Russellville
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
April 1, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — District 18 State Rep. Jamie Kiel has been named to the 2026 class of Emerging Leaders by GOPAC, a national group which works to train ...
NIL era has become a complete disaster
Columnists, Opinion
April 1, 2026
The modern NIL era is a complete disaster. Players walk away from contracts just to chase a new shiny opportunity. Coaches are left begging their alum...
Ex-educators learn about crime prevention from guest speaker
Columnists, Franklin County, News
HERE AND NOW
April 1, 2026
Members of the Franklin County Retired Educators Association learned about crime prevention during their recent monthly meeting. Association members w...
K-9 Mia gets helmet for protection
News
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
April 1, 2026
ROGERSVILLE — When Police Lt. Lucas Stansell and his K-9 Mija are called into action to track a person through the woods, or to go into a home to exec...
Biblical roles create big sandals to fill
News
Chelsea Retherford Staff Writer 
April 1, 2026
Onstage, they are adversaries — one a reluctant liberator, the other a ruler clinging to power. But offstage, McKinley Copeland and Zach Adams share s...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *