In brief
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has proposed withholding $40 million from California due to the state's noncompliance with English language requirements for truck drivers. This decision follows a deadly crash in Florida involving a truck driver who reportedly lacked proper English proficiency. California Governor Gavin Newsom has defended the state’s practices, citing a lower than average crash rate among commercial truck drivers.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday he will withhold $40 million from California because it is the only state that is failing to enforce English language requirements for truckers.
An investigation launched after a deadly Florida crash involving a foreign truck driver who made an illegal U-turn on August 12 found significant failures in California's enforcement of English proficiency rules that took effect in June, under an executive order from former President Donald Trump.
Duffy stated that truckers are supposed to be disqualified if they fail to demonstrate English proficiency. The involved driver should not have received a commercial license due to his immigration status. The political implications of the incident have sparked exchanges between governors from California and Florida, with Duffy emphasizing immigration concerns in various interviews.
“California is the only state in the nation that refuses to ensure big rig drivers can read our road signs and communicate with law enforcement. This is a fundamental safety issue that impacts you and your family on America’s road,” Duffy remarked.
California defended its licensing practices, asserting that commercial truck drivers have a crash rate lower than the national average. However, Duffy indicated that California conducted about 34,000 inspections since the new standards were implemented, resulting in only one English language rule violation that led to a driver being removed from service.
The Department of Transportation has stated that California must adopt regulations to enforce English requirements effectively to regain its funding. Additionally, Duffy threatened to impose another $160 million cut concerning the process of issuing commercial driver licenses.
The crash resulted in three fatalities after truck driver Harjinder Singh made an illegal U-turn, colliding with a minivan. Singh currently faces charges of vehicular homicide and immigration violations but remains uninjured.
The investigation has highlighted controversies surrounding Singh’s immigration status, his communication abilities during traffic stops, and the responsibilities of states in issuing commercial driver’s licenses.
