Councilmember Bob Whalen made the comments during the city council meeting on Monday, April 20.
MILTON, Wash. — A Milton City Council member is facing backlash, after suggesting that drivers who don’t speak English shouldn’t be allowed to drive through the city.
Councilmember Bob Whalen made the comments during the city council meeting on Monday, April 20, while they were discussing an ordinance to limit semi-truck traffic through Milton.
“Where do we have in code that you have to speak English to an officer … Is that something to incorporate in here?” Whalen asked police Chief Tony Hernandez.
“No, that’s not something we’ve incorporated in there. We have not run across that very often,” the chief responded.
Whalen continued, “One time is one too many times. So where should we incorporate that within our traffic codes, traffic law, in the City of Milton that you must be able to speak English before you … before a police officer allows you to transfer? For whatever reason they stop you for, if you can’t speak English, you don’t drive. Can you (inaudible) develop something that protects the citizens of Milton from non-English speaking drivers?”
Hernandez said he’d have to discuss the matter with the department’s legal team and the state attorney general because, to his understanding, that restriction doesn’t exist in the State of Washington.
Whether or not the state has that restriction, Whalen said he believes the city could.
Whalen responded, “But I think we as a citizen, corporation so forth, can have our own, whether they have one or not. If you can’t speak English, you don’t transit through the City of Milton.”
KING 5 reached out to Chief Hernandez about the comments. He said, in part, “At this point, it remains a matter of individual perspective rather than a policy, legal, or procedural issue requiring formal review.”
Hernandez added, “I do acknowledge that the topic discussed intersects with existing federal requirements. Under 49 CFR § 391.11(b)(2), commercial drivers are required to read and speak English sufficiently to converse with the public and understand highway traffic signs. While the Washington State Department of Licensing does provide accommodation in the testing process, the federal standard remains controlling for compliance purposes, and enforcement of that standard is not within our purview. Additionally, there have been recent indications from federal authorities emphasizing adherence to these requirements for safety purposes.”
Hernandez said that, from an operational standpoint, this has not been an issue for the Milton Police Department. There are several bilingual officers, and the department has technology that allows them to communicate with people regardless of their primary language.
KING 5 reached out to Councilmember Whalen for comment and has not heard back.
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