Iowa Lawmaker Backs Requiring English Proficiency for CDL Drivers 

In the wake of a horrific highway crash in Florida last week that killed three, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, is throwing her support behind federal legislation that would require commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) operators to demonstrate proficiency in English. 

The legislation, Connor’s Law, is named to honor Connor Dzion, an 18-year-old who died in 2017 in an automobile accident as a result of a distracted truck driver who was found to be unable to speak English or read English-language warning signs of traffic ahead. 

The bill would require CDL operators to “read and speak the English language sufficiently to: converse with the general public; understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language; respond to official inquiries; and make entries on reports and records.”

The bill was introduced in the House in May by Rep. David Taylor, R-Ohio, and had more than 10 House Republican co-sponsors before the announcement by Miller-Meeks. The bill is in the spirit of President Donald Trump’s executive order in April that sought to place operators of CDLs who are unable to demonstrate proficiency in English out of service.

Miller-Meeks’ support for the legislation comes after an illegal alien operating a California CDL license was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide after reportedly trying to perform an unlawful U-turn using an “Official Use Only” access point on the Florida Turnpike on Aug. 12.

According to the New York Post, the illegal alien, Harjinder Singh, was able to correctly answer only two questions out of 12 given for English language proficiency by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration after the fatal accident. The Department of Transportation said that Singh could identify just one out of four signs shown to him after being asked to read highway signs.

Singh is said to have entered the U.S. illegally in 2018. Despite his unlawful entry, he was allowed to have a CDL granted by two states, California and Washington state. 

“What happened in Florida is a tragedy that never should have happened. An illegal immigrant who failed basic English and road sign tests was still given commercial licenses in California and Washington, and three innocent Americans paid the price. This is exactly what happens when sanctuary states put politics over public safety,” Miller-Meeks told The Daily Signal.

“President Trump is restoring law and order and putting America First, and I stand with him. That’s why I’m backing Connor’s Law and my legislation to make English the official language of the United States,” the Iowa congresswoman continued. 

“If you want to drive on American roads or work in American communities, you must follow our laws and understand our language. No exceptions. Sanctuary recklessness must end, and under President Trump’s leadership, we will keep our roads and our families safe,” Miller-Meeks said.

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