Public hearing in Frederick County over English-only law

On Tuesday evening, the Frederick County Council held a public meeting to gauge support for the repeal of a law passed in 2012 that made English the official language of the county. The bill to repeal the law was drafted by Frederick County Council member Jessica Fitzwater. At the public meeting, there was almost even support for both sides of the issue. While those in favor of repeal say the law is unwelcoming and does not have much effect, those who want the law to stay in place believe that it encourages immigrants to assimilate to the most popular language in the United States.