View source for 1986 California Proposition 63

{{Short description|Referendum making English the official state language}}
{{For|Proposition 63 of other years|California Proposition 63 (disambiguation){{!}}California Proposition 63}}
{{Infobox referendum
| name                = Proposition 63
| country             = California
| date                = {{Start date|1986|11|04}}
| question            = Official State Language
| location            = {{Flag|California}}
| yes                 = 5,138,577
| no                  = 1,876,639
}}
{{ElectionsCA}}
The 1986 '''Proposition 63''', titled Official State Language, was a proposition in the state of [[California]] on the November 4, 1986 ballot. The ballot [[Popular initiative|initiative]] created Article III, Section 6 of the [[California Constitution]] and made [[English language|English]] the official language of the state. The measure passed by a 46.5% margin.{{sfn|MacKaye|1990|p=136}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=California Proposition 63, English as the Official Language Initiative (1986) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_63,_English_as_the_Official_Language_Initiative_(1986) |access-date=2023-07-04 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}</ref> Due to superseding federal laws, the provision is effectively null and was later designated as merely "advisory" by the state [[attorney general of California|attorney general]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dillow |first1=Gordon |title=English-only law likely would go unenforced |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2006/05/21/english-only-law-likely-would-go-unenforced/ |access-date=13 October 2024 |work=Orange County Register |date=May 21, 2006}}</ref>

==Text==
The text of the ballot measure is as follows:

{{blockquote|Provides that English is the official language of the state of California; requires the legislature to enforce this provision by appropriate legislation; charges the legislature with preserving and enhancing the role of English as the common language of the state, requiring that no law may be passed that ignores or diminishes this role; and provides for any resident or person doing business in the state to sue the state to enforce these provisions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=California Proposition 63, English as the Official Language Initiative (1986) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_63,_English_as_the_Official_Language_Initiative_(1986) |access-date=2023-07-04 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}</ref>}}

==See also==
*[[List of California ballot propositions 1980-1989]]
*[[1998 California Proposition 227]]
*[[2016 California Proposition 58]]
*[[Languages of the United States]]
*[[Modern English]]

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|25em}}

===Works cited===
{{Refbegin |60em}}
* {{cite journal|last=MacKaye|first= S. D. |year=1990 |title=California proposition 63: Language attitudes reflected in the public debate.|journal= The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science|volume= 508|number= 1|pages= 135–146 |doi= 10.1177/0002716290508001011 |s2cid= 145764482 }}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* [https://academic.oup.com/applij/article-abstract/10/3/313/161934/Proposition-63-The-California-English-Language Proposition 63: The California English Language Amendment]
* [https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CONS&sectionNum=SEC.%206.&article=III California Constitution: Article III, Section 6]

{{Wikisource}}

<!--- Categories --->
[[Category:1986 California ballot propositions]]
[[Category:Language policy in the United States]]
[[Category:Language referendums]]

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