Crafton turns in English Only petitions

Council member calls latest drive a victory for 'We the People'

Email | Print By Nate Rau

Photo: Matthew Williams

Councilman Eric Crafton officially made his second stab at a petition-driven charter amendment Tuesday when he turned in more than 5,000 signatures from Davidson County voters who want a special election for English Only.

Crafton repeated his claim that the cost of the $350,000 special election, which could be held Jan. 22, falls to Mayor Karl Dean and the judicial system, which thwarted his efforts the first time around.

“It took about two days to get back the required number [of 2,475 signatures],” Crafton said, calling the petition drive a “victory for ‘We the People.’”

Crafton said he encouraged the Davidson County Election Commission to still put the proposed charter amendment on the Nov. 4 ballot to save the tax payers the expensive bill of a special election.

If there is a special election to determine if English should be the official language of Metro government and stating individuals have no right to service in any other language, then Crafton said he is not to blame.

Asked whether he blamed Mayor Dean, Crafton stated, “You’ll have to decide who was responsible for making calls to the Election Commission and getting Metro Legal to file the suit,” Crafton said.

Metro Director of Law Sue Cain said the first petition drive fell short of the required two-year waiting period by three days and couldn’t go on the ballot. The election commission took Cain’s advice and kept it off the ballot. A Davidson County Chancery Court judge sided with the election commission as well, forcing Crafton to try again.