Linda Amarillo said she rushed to take her Florida Driver’s License exam on Thursday.
It’s the last day Amarillo, who doesn’t speak English fluently, will be able to take it in Spanish, her first language.
“It would have been more difficult, understanding and reading the questions,” Amarillo said.
Starting Friday, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will have the driver’s license exams for all classifications only in English. Translators won’t be allowed.
“I think it’s a good thing. I mean, we’re Americans and Americans should have an English language for the test,” Terry Caldwell said in reaction to the news.
The agency’s announcement on Jan. 30 attributed the change to taking “a leading role in highway safety“ and ”promoting clear communication.”
Nikki Fried, the chair of the Florida Democrats, did not like the idea at all.
“In one of the most multilingual states in the country ... This is not about safety, this is about racism,” Fried wrote on X on Jan. 30.
Gov. Ron DeSantis used X on Jan. 31 to celebrate the change as “good reform ...Need to be able to read the road signs!”
Amarillo is glad she was one of the licensed drivers taking the test in her native language and not in English.
“It’s making things more difficult for people,” Amarillo said in Spanish.
YOUR OPINION: Is it practical for FLHSMV to offer the driver’s license exam in different languages, or is it a safety risk? Share your opinion in the comment section below:
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