State lawmakers decided today to hold off a few weeks on a bill to make Tennessee drivers’ license tests English-only. Governor Bill Haslam says he’s concerned about what effect the measure might have on foreign businesses in the state.
Haslam says he’s talked with state lawmakers pushing the proposal, as well as with leaders from foreign companies doing work in Tennessee, such as Volkswagen.
“We’re having a lot of conversations with – we have a lot of Japanese businesses located here, a lot of German businesses and other folks, and we want to make certain we’re not doing anything to inhibit that.”
But the measure’s sponsor, State Senator Bill Ketron, argues it really won’t affect such companies.
“I said ‘Governor, all those folks that come from Germany, they’re probably smarter than we are. They speak four or five languages.’ And I said I’m not concerned about that, and I haven’t really heard that from any of the industries.”
Ketron says the current proposal makes exceptions for people with valid visas.
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