A state lawmaker is proposing to make English the official language of Rhode Island.

Rep. Kenneth Carter, D-North Kingstown, said in a news release that 27 states have made English their official language. The “Rhode Island English Language Affirmation Act of 2008” would do so here.

“Official English does not mean English only,” Carter, the bill’s prime sponsor, said in the statement. “None of the states with official English laws prohibit government agencies from using another language when there is a compelling public interest for doing so, such as protecting public health and safety and ensuring equality before the law.”

But Carter added that he believes “we need to encourage every citizen of this state to become more proficient in the English language” to help them “participate more fully in the economic, political and cultural activities of the state.”

Last fall, on a radio talk show, Governor Carcieri, a Republican, called for making English the state’s official language while talking about his comments criticizing the provision of English-language interpreters in some state departments.

But at this point, key leaders in the House and Senate oppose the English-only bill. Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano, D-North Providence, said yesterday: “It’s not a new idea. Probably every 10 years it comes up. And personally I’ve always opposed it. I just don’t think it’s fair to people that … . I think it unnecessarily targets people that don’t speak English and are doing the best they can to make it in this country. Just like our ancestors tried to make it in this country.”

And House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox, D-Providence, said: “This is an English-speaking country. I think to succeed in this country you need to speak English, but we’ve been a melting pot that has absorbed people from myriad different nationalities speaking different languages and this country has still managed to use that to its strength, advantage and grow.”

More specifically, Fox sees “practical problems,” including impediments to teaching English as a second language (ESL) classes. “When you get into official languages and we want to have those classes available in order to have young children learn English to succeed in this world, how do you teach those children if you can’t speak in their native tongue.”

“The other issue is whether it’s a state issue,” he said. “I don’t know if the floor of the House of Representatives in Rhode Island, especially in a year when we are going to have a lot of other very tough decisions to make and hard issues to discuss, whether this is the appropriate forum for it.”

With reports from Katherine Gregg of the Journal State House bureau

mmckinne@projo.com